France-based JSB Compétition will boost the grid for the first European race of the TCR International Series, with two SEAT León Racers entered for Lucile Cypriano and David Cebrián Ariza.
Cypriano will become the first female driver to compete in the series, with the 18-year-old coming straight from having raced in the SEAT León Eurocup at the Circuit Paul Ricard in France last weekend.
“I will start thinking about the TCR on Monday and probably I will stress a bit,” admitted Cypriano at the weekend. “It’s a very high-level competition and everything will be new to me: the track, the tyres and the vast majority of my rivals…”
Cypriano may be young, but the racer from Nice has plenty of racing experience, thanks to her father owning a go-karting business. Having started at the age of seven, she then graduated to single-seaters, racing in Formula 4 before moving to the German-based Volkswagen Scirocco R Cup in 2014, finishing tenth overall.
“I actually started karting at the age of seven,” she explained. “As much as I can go back into my childhood memories, this is what I really wanted to do. Having a dad that runs karting tracks may have helped, I guess…”
As part of the FIA-supported ‘Women in Motorsport’ programme, Cypriano was then able to move to the SEAT León Eurocup following her experience in the similar Scirocco R Cup.
When she is not racing, Cypriano is a student in Sports Science, and added: “I love speed, of course, but what I like most is competing and fighting…”
The second SEAT in Valencia will be occupied by David Cebrián Ariza, who is a former champion in the Spanish Peugeot 207 Cup and a race winner in the French SEAT León Supercópa and the Spanish Renault Clio Cup.