Robert Dahlgren will once again race for Polestar Cyan Racing in the season finale of the World Touring Car Championship in Qatar this weekend, marking a third event of the season for the Swede.
Dahlgren previously raced in the WTCC events in Portugal and Argentina, before being substituted by Néstor Girolami in Japan and Fredrik Ekblom in China.
Dahlgren has been a key part of the Polestar development programme during the season, and will use the season finale to stake a claim to a race seat in 2017, despite being the only Volvo driver not to have yet scored any points in the current season.
“To put the work into use from the development programme by racing in the season finale feels really rewarding for me,” said Dahlgren. “I can’t wait for it to begin.”
Polestar head into the Qatar desert for the final race weekend on a high, having taken their first-ever victory with Thed Björk last time out in Shanghai in September.
“I’m feeling really strong after the Shanghai, to claim the lead and the win on the very last lap was amazing,” said Björk. “Our first season has exceeded our expectations both in terms of race weekends and testing in between, so I am very much looking forward to continue this under the floodlights in Qatar.”
Polestar Head of Motorsport Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin says the team have used the two-month break from the last event to focus further on their development programme.
“The break from the last race has given us vital time to proceed with our development,” he said. “We hope to pick up on the form from the previous race in China and end the season on a high.”
Unusually for a WTCC event, but the same as in 2015, the season finale takes place on Friday evening under the Losail floodlights. Thus, free practice commences on Thursday, with qualifying on Friday afternoon.