Photo: TCR China

Penultimate FIA TCR World Tour round to feature 30-car grid at Zhuzhou

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The FIA TCR World Tour will race in China for the first time this weekend as Zhuzhou International Circuit hosts the penultimate round of 2024, featuring 30 cars on a joint grid with TCR China.

Norbert Michelisz heads to China in the championship lead on 244 points, 25 more than Honda driver Esteban Guerrieri and 29 more than Lynk & Co’s Thed Björk. A total of 150 points are available from the last two race weekends of 2024.

Last year’s runner-up Yann Ehrlacher is joint fourth overall with Hyundai driver Mikel Azcona.

While Michelisz’s signature consistency has brought him to the top of the table, Björk has outscored the Hungarian driver for the past four races and not finished lower than third for the past three races.

But Björk will carry 40kg of compensation weight this weekend, Michelisz 30kg and Guerrieri just 10kg. Azcona will carry 30kg and Ehrlacher 20kg.

Neither of the top drivers have raced at Zhuzhou before, with local hero Ma Qing Hua being the only one of the regular drivers with recent experience of the circuit – currently placed seventh overall on 161 points.

While the local TCR China drivers will have an advantage in track experience, they will face a difficult task of adjusting to the Kumho tyres for this weekend as they otherwise race on Michelin tyres.

Front-runners of TCR China include current points leader Jazon Zhang och Teamwork Motorsport and his two closest championship rivals Martin Cao of Hyundai N and Martin Xie of MacPro Racing Team.

Former TCR World Tour front-runner Rob Huff returns this weekend for the final two races, driving an Audi RS 3 LMS for Volcano Motorsport and will most likely mix in the top fight.

The FIA TCR World Tour weekend in China starts with testing on Thursday, followed by two practice sessions on Friday, qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday.

Zhuzhou schedule

Times in CST (CEST +6)

Friday – 18/10
12:00 – Free Practice 1
15:00 – Free Practice 2

Saturday – 19/10
10:00 – Qualifying
14:00 – Race 1

Sunday – 20/10
14:00 – Race 2

Zhuzhou Entry list

1 – Martin Cao Hong Wei – Hyundai N, Hyundai Elantra N TCR
2 – Rainey He Xiao Le – Hyundai N, Hyundai Elantra N TCR
3 – Andy Yan Cheuk Wai – Hyundai N, Hyundai Elantra N TCR
7 – David Deng Bao Wei – MacPro Racing Team, Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
9 – David Zhu Dai Wei – Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk & Co 03 TCR
12 – Sunny Wong Yat Shing – Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk & Co 03 TCR
26 – Tony Chan Chi Wai – Norris Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR
27 – Victor Chan Chun Leung – Norris Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR
28 – Lo Sze Ho – Evolve Racing, Hyundai Elantra N TCR
36 – Jason Zhang Zhi Qiang – Lynk & Co Teamwork Motorsport, Lynk & Co 03 TCR
37 – Zhou Yun Jie – Spark Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
51 – Wu Yi Fan – 326 Racing Team, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
52 – Jamie Lai Jing Wen – 326 Racing Team, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
55 – Martin Xie Xin Zhe – MacPro Racing Team, Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
62 – Dušan Borković – GOAT Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
77 – Zhao Di – 326 Racing Team, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
87 – Man Siu Ming – Evolve Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR
95 – Hu Heng – 326 Racing Team, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
96 – Kevin Xiao Kun Peng – 326 Racing Team, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
105 – Norbert Michelisz – BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N TCR
111 – Thed Björk – Lynk & Co Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR
112 – Santiago Urrutia – Lynk & Co Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR
127 – John Filippi – Volcano Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
129 – Néstor Girolami – BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N TCR
155 – Ma Qing Hua – Lynk & Co Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR
168 – Yann Ehrlacher – Lynk & Co Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR
179 – Rob Huff – Volcano Motorsport, Audi RS 3 LMS TCR
186 – Esteban Guerrieri – GOAT Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
196 – Mikel Azcona – BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N TCR
199 – Marco Butti – GOAT Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR