Frenchman John Filippi will return for a second World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) season in 2015, racing a TC1 Chevrolet Cruze for Campos Racing.
Filippi made his WTCC début in 2014, driving an ageing SEAT León in the small TC2 class. The 19-year-old completed the entire season, finishing second in the category by default due to only Franz Engstler being his only other full-season rival.
For 2015, with the TC2 class being dropped, Filippi will move up to a Campos Racing TC1 Chevrolet, built by RML.
“After the 2014 season, we received several proposals to race in other touring car series, including STCC or TCR,” explained Filippi to French website ToileF1. “But my goal has always been the WTCC. This is where the best drivers and constructors are.
“The urge became even stronger when I tested the Cruze TC1 for the first time in summer 2014. The feeling was very good, although the steering is different from that of a TC2 car.”
Filippi’s presence on the grid means that there would be five French drivers represented, including Sébastien Loeb, Yvan Muller, Hugo Valente and newcomer Grégoire Demoustier.
The youngster admits that he is not setting himself unrealistic targets, intending to build on his début season and score some strong results in the second half of the year.
“I intend to build on my experience last year. Many circuits that I learned in 2014 are no longer on the 2015 calendar, but the new tracks will be new to almost everyone,” continued the Frenchman. “If I refer to what was done by [Hugo] Valente last year, with a 12th place in the championship despite several races where he lacked success, a top 12 late in the season would be a satisfactory result.
“I am pleased anyway to continue the adventure with the Campos team, which has some knowledge in the area [of TC1]. In addition, I am still working with my engineer who had accompanied me last year in TC2, and with whom I get along well. I’m looking forward to the start of the first race.”