2022 champion Franco Girolami will make a return to TCR Europe in 2024, teaming up once again with Viktor Davidovski as the pair join returning team Monlau Motorsport in CUPRA machinery.
Girolami, who made his European début in late 2020, will return to the series he won in 2022. The Argentine spent last year racing in TCR Italy, where he scooped the overall title at the wheel of an Audi RS3 LMS TCR II.
Moving back to TCR Europe, Girolami will aim to become the series’ second two-time champion, following in the footsteps of Mikel Azcona, who won the title in 2018 and 2021.
Girolami and Macedonian team-mate Davidovski will race brand new CUPRA Leon VZ TCR cars, which is an evolution of the Leon Competición TCR.
The switch comes after Audi Sport scaled back its customer racing support at the end of 2023, leaving many running the Ingolstadt marques machinery looking for better-supported steeds in 2024.
“I’m very happy to be returning to TCR Europe in 2024,” said Girolami. “After winning the title in 2022, and becoming Italian Champion in 2023, going back to a strong championship that saw me grow in my international career is an honour for me.
“I thank all the parties who trusted in this project, and I will try my best to achieve the objectives.
“The CUPRA Leon VZ is a new car to me, just like Monlau Motorsport. This car and team combo is a very strong synergy and I’m fully confident we’re going to have a great 2024 season.”
Davidovski, 43, is TCR Europe’s most loyal competitor and is entering into his seventh season in the series, and his fifth full campaign. His best overall finish was fourth last year, whilst he has also claimed one race win, in 2022.
Monlau Motorsport is no stranger to TCR competition. The Barcelona-based team has recently been running cars for Eric Gené and Enric Bordas Cotes in TCR Spain, whilst it also appeared in TCR Europe in TCR Europe in selected races in 2018 with Munkong Sathienthirakul.