Frenchman Aurélien Comte will replace Northern Irishman Jack Young in Vuković Motorsport’s Renault Mégane RS for this weekend’s FIA World Touring Car Cup races in Slovakia.
Young raced with the Swiss team for the first two events in Belgium and Germany, but the Brit will be absent from the grid for this weekend’s races at the Slovakiaring.
Young has failed to finish any of the WTCR races to-date in the 2020 season, and last time out at the Nürburgring Nordschleife he crashed out of race one, resulting in him being unable to start race two due to damage.
Comte contested the inaugural FIA WTCR season in 2018, racing a Peugeot 308 TCR for DG Sport Compéticion. He was absent from the grid last year, focussing on a full season campaign in TCR Europe where he ended the year seventh overall in the drivers’ standings.
So far in 2020, 32-year-old Comte has not contested any touring car races, although he did participate in the official pre-season WTCR Esports series.
“We have chosen Aurélien, as he is a very talented driver with plenty of experience in WTCR and TCR in general,” said Vuković Motorsport CEO Milenko Vuković.
“Aurélien was involved in our winter tests for the development of the Renault Mégane RS TCR Evo. We hope to strengthen our partnership with Renault Sport with Aurélien, as he is a French driver and has driven in the Renault Clio Cup successfully in the past.
“It will be a tough challenge, because Aurélien needs to get used to the car and the Goodyear tyres very quickly, as it is our first time in Slovakia Ring.
“But we have no doubt that he will be competitive in our Renault Megane RS TCR Evo.”
Comte is looking forward to returning to the track for the first time since he contested the season finale of the 2019 TCR Australia series.
“I’m really happy to be back in WTCR and I want to thank Vuković Motorsport for the trust,” said Comte.
“Everything is going very fast so I don’t realise yet what’s happening! I did a little test in the car this winter and the potential of the car was very strong.
“Vuković Motorsport has done an incredible job with the car. My goal now is to have a solid and constructive weekend for the team and the Mégane.
“I hope to succeed in showing its potential at a technical track that I like.”
Vuković added that he hopes that Young will be able to return to the car later in the season, should sufficient be found.
“We hope Jack will have the necessary budget to continue,” added Vuković, “because we want to see him back behind the wheel as quickly as possible. He is a talented driver with a lot of potential.”