Esteban Guerrieri will return to the top level of touring car racing in 2024, with the Argentine joining GOAT Racing to take part in the FIA TCR World Tour in a Honda Civic Type-R FL5.
Guerrieri raced full-time in World Touring Cars from 2017 to 2022, the majority in Honda machinery, before switching to the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Vanwall Racing team in 2023.
With Vanwall not returning to FIA WEC this year, Guerrieri has opted to return to touring car racing, joining new entry GOAT Racing alongside the already-announced Marco Butti.
The team, which is owned by Rubén Fernández Gil, will be managed by experienced tin-top racer Pepe Oriola.
Guerrieri, 39, is the most winning driver in the FIA World Touring Car Cup, and has claimed all except one of his 13 World Touring Car wins in JAS Motorsport-built Honda machinery. He also finished as the runner-up in the 2019 drivers’ standings.
“It feels amazing to be back with the Honda Racing family through GOAT Racing and JAS Motorsport,” said the Argentine, who got his first taste of the new Honda at MotorLand Aragón last week.
“It was in Hondas that I achieved my biggest successes in touring cars, but there’s definitely unfinished business and the desire to add a global TCR title burns very strongly inside me.
“Even though GOAT Racing is a new team, there is a huge amount of ambition and the quality of the people involved with the project made that very clear during the test last week.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity I can’t wait to get the season started.”
Team Manager Oriola believes that signing a driver of Guerrieri’s calibre is a sign of intent from the new Barcelona-based team.
“To have Esteban in the team shows to the world that GOAT Racing is putting all the resources we have available to build something capable of taking on the best in the world,” said Oriola.
“Esteban brings his extensive experience to the team, which will help us take the very important step of growing and moving forwards together.
“Esteban is the driver with the highest number of WTCR wins ever so we hope together that we can increase his tally of victories at global level.”
Guerrieri’s signing comes off the back of recent news that fellow long-time JAS Motorsport affiliated driver Néstor Girolami has moved over to join Hyundai Motorsport.
Mads Fischer, JAS Motorsport TCR Project Leader, is excited to work with Guerrieri, who also took part in four TCR South America races in Toyota machinery last year, once again.
“The Tiger returns to his touring car home,” said Fischer. “It’s fantastic news to have Esteban, one of the most successful TCR drivers of all time, back behind the wheel of a JAS-built car in the world’s top touring car series.
“The fact that a brand-new team has gone to such lengths to secure a driver like him for this programme shows not only their ambition, but also the level they expect to perform at, and this makes us very proud to support their efforts with the Honda Civic Type R TCR.”