Tom Coronel reveals his Chevrolet’s 2014 livery
Tom Coronel has revealed the livery with which he will compete in the 2014 FIA World Touring Car Championship with ROAL Motorsport, which is in-line with the colours he has raced since 2011 with ROAL Motorsport.
The 41-year-old Dutch driver will remain with ROAL Motorsport for a fourth consecutive season, but will move from the rear-wheel drive BMW 320 TC which he has campaigned with them to a brand new Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 car.
With BMW not developing a car for the new TC1 class, the only option available for most of the independent to compete in TC1 is to acquire RML’s new Chevrolet Cruze TC1. The British team is building six cars, which will be the dominant marque on the grid, but for the first time in the WTCC’s history, will not be running a team themselves.
The design of Coronel’s car is its usual blue, white and red, with principal sponsorship from McGregor, DHL, TW Steel and Valvoline. Coronel isn’t set to receive his car until shortly before the season opener at Marrakech and so is unlikely to test before the season begins.
Coronel’s team-mate Tom Chilton is testing at Valencia today with ROAL Motorsport, alongside Hugo Valente’s Campos Chevrolet and the Honda and Citroën manufacturer teams.
“Of course it is unfortunate not being able to put the first miles on the ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet in Valencia this week, to get used to the car, but it is what it is,2 said Coronel. “Only days ago RML finished production of the first two cars based on the new TC1 specs and my chassis will probably not be ready before the end of next week. (At the) beginning of April I will most likely drive the first metres in the car as part of a short shakedown at the Adria track.
“After that the car will immediately be transported to Morocco, where the first WTCC races for the 2014 season will take place. A tight schedule, but there is no other option. I’m already really satisfied that I will at least compete in the WTCC this year, again with ROAL Motorsport and with the car that won the championship the past couple of years, now in the new TC1 specification, which means an increased output to 380hp (+80 hp), new technology, a wider appearance and more aerodynamics. I would really like to thank my existing and new sponsors for their support to make this happen”
Tom Coronel will get some racing in before the season starts however, as he takes part in a round of the Taiwan S2000 Championship.
“I was asked by the Extend Racing team to compete with their BMW in the Option Cup, which is part of the S2000 championship in Taiwan. A nice challenge and on top a good opportunity to regain the feeling again with a serious touring car ahead of the WTCC season’s start. Furthermore this BMW E90 320si with a six-cylinder engine is not new to me, so it will become exciting this Sunday.”
