Photo: TCR

Hyundai confirms TCR World Tour presence

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Hyundai’s Customer Racing department has confirmed that a pair of Elantra N TCR cars will feature in the inaugural TCR World Tour season.

Hyundai secured the final WTCR title last season with Mikel Azcona, who was at the wheel of an Elantra being run by the BRC Racing team.

That marked the third title in five years for Hyundai drivers, after Gabriele Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz took championship honours for BRC in the i30 N TCR in 2018 and 2019.

Whilst the news of the Hyundai programme was expected, there has yet to be any confirmation on who will be behind the wheel or on which team will run the two cars, with further information expected nearer to the opening meeting of the campaign in Portugal in late April

“The Customer Racing department and the TCR programme are very important elements of Hyundai Motorsport,” Hyundai Motorsport’s new team principal Cyril Abiteboul said.

“Just like the start of our work on the Hyundai i30 N TCR in 2016, and then the development of the Hyundai Elantra N TCR, the dawn of the TCR World Tour brings another fresh challenge.

“We embrace this new era with the experience and expertise gained from years of success in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup and the confidence that we can start the season with the same strength we have shown before.”

Customer Racing Manager Andrea Cisotti added that he expected the new series to provide the same levels of drama seen in WTCR.

“As a manufacturer, we enjoyed incredible success in WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup, and we look forward to continuing this record with our customers this season,” he said. “The TCR World Tour promises to deliver the same exciting, close racing as its predecessor.

“The events that have already been confirmed will take the series to a truly global audience and some of the best race circuits in the world. This will be only one of several new challenges for our customers and their drivers, but one for which we will support them entirely.”