Proteam Racing will enter a Ford Focus ST for ex-WTCC racer Diego Romanini in the inaugural TCR International Series race in Malaysia.
The Italian team will start the season with 36-year-old Romanini in one of the Onyx Engineering-built machines before expanding their operation to two cars at the first European round of the championship at Valencia in May.
“We feel confident, because Onyx has done an incredible job in building the TCR Focus,” said team manager Valmiro Presenzini. “We wanted to start the season with two cars, but we have appreciated the huge efforts put in by Onyx in fine-tuning, which made it impossible to finish the second car in time to be sent to the Far East for the first two events. However, we think that it was worth waiting for as the car they have built has great potential.”
The Ford becomes the fifth different marque on the TCR grid in Sepang, joining SEAT, Honda, Opel and Audi.
TCR boss Marcello Lotti added: “I saw the Ford Focus ST for myself the last time I visited the Onyx workshop. I was impressed, as in my opinion this car has been tailored to the TCR technical regulations right down to the smallest detail. I have a feeling that it will be fighting soon for the top positions.”