The BRC Racing Team have revealed their livery for the 2018 FIA World Touring Car Cup at an official season launch event, with drivers Gabriele Tarquini and Norbert Michelisz taking the wraps off the car.
BRC will campaign a pair of Hyundai i30 N TCR cars, continuing their relationship with Hyundai Motorsport after working with the German company on the development and testing of the South Korean car in 2017.
Tarquini will lead the campaign as the most experienced driver on the grid, whilst 2017 World Touring Car Championship runner-up Norbert Michelisz will also race for the team as he targets race wins and championship glory.
“Firstly, the WTCR was the perfect opportunity to expand our brand promotion through the most important international touring car championship in the world,” said Head of BRC Racing Team Gabriele Rizzo. “Secondly, the new championship was perfectly timed because we could not wait to take advantage of the knowledge we built up last year on the Hyundai i30 N TCR working with Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing.
“Racing the Hyundai i30 N TCR this season will offer us the possibility to take advantage of the know-how we gained last year testing with Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing in the middle part of 2017.
“We ran for six months testing across Europe testing with the engineers and mechanics from Hyundai Motorsport and in the last part of 2017 we entered in three weekends with the i30 N TCR car and it was a real success.
“The performance showed by the car in those events show clearly that it’s one of the strongest packages available for TCR competition. We really haven’t any doubts about the car we will use in WTCR and TCR Italy.”
2009 WTCC champion Tarquini is looking forward to racing in a full season once again, after only competing in three events at the end of 2017 in the TCR International Series and the TCR Europe trophy.
“For me it’s very nice to be involved in a full season again,” added the 56-year-old Italian. “Last year I enjoyed very much being involved in developing and with BRC and Hyundai we made a really good job of it, so it gives me a great opportunity to be back racing.
“It’s a really strong car. I was involved since the beginning, so it’s like my child, so I want to show that the car is very good, it’s very strong and we must fight for our targets – to win races and the championship – and I think we have a very, very strong package.
Michelisz explained that his motivation for moving to BRC was the chance to fight for wins in what the Hungarian racer believes is the best TCR car on the market at present.
“At the end of last year you could see that the i30 N TCR is the car to beat and the combination of BRC Racing Team and the i30 was almost unbeatable,” said Michelisz. “As a racing car driver you always want to win and to have the best equipment, and I’m quite sure that this combination will enable us to fight for race wins and maybe for the championship as well.
“I’ve known Gabriele for the last couple of years and I really look forward to work with him again and I think that we can form a strong combination.
“After finishing second [in WTCC] last year, the goal has to be to win the championship, but as you can see there will be some top drivers and teams with a very high level and a competitive championship. But nevertheless, the aim is to win the championship!”