Engstler Motorsport will field five Volkswagen Golf GTi cars in the 2018 ADAC TCR Germany, after announcing Niko Kankkunen and Théo Coicaud to partner Luca Engstler, Florian Thoma and Justin Häußermann.
The news marks an increase on the number of cars fielded by Franz Engstler’s squad in 2017, when the team ran full-season cars for Engstler and Thoma only.
19-year-old Finn Kankkunen is embarking on his second season in TCR Germany, after contesting the 2017 season at the wheel of an LMS Racing Audi RS3 LMS TCR.
18-year-old Frenchman Coicaud moves to TCR Germany after racing in the Formula Renault Northern European Cup (NEC) in 2017, where he ended the year fourth overall as one of only four drivers to compete in the full season. 2018 will be his first season racing in touring cars.
Coicaud has already tested Engstler’s Golf in the Middle East, where the team has been racing in TCR Middle East with Luca Engstler and Thoma.
“With the addition of the two drivers, we have a strong team in 2018,” saidTeam Principal Franz Engstler. “With Justin Häußermann in the Rookie Challenge and with Luca, Florian, Niko, and Théo we already have some hot irons in the fire for podium finishes.
“We look forward to the Challenges of the ADAC TCR Germany. The first tests of the new pilots have already been completed in Middle East and the result leaves us confident for the championship.”
Engstler Motorsport have also confirmed that all five drivers will be in 2018-spec Golfs for the coming season.