Italian Giacomo Ghermandi and Spaniard Felipe Fernández will take part in this weekend’s TCR Europe season finale in Barcelona, with both drivers racing a CUPRA Leon Competición for different teams.
Ghermandi has been racing in TCR Eastern Europe in a LEMA Racing CUPRA, and he ended his first year in joint tenth overall in the drivers’ standings, with a best result of fourth at the season opener.
The Italian took part in the first four events in an older CUPRA TCR, before switching to the new Leon Competición for the final two events in Slovakia and the Czech Republic.
“This has been an apprenticeship season for me, and I improved race after race,” said Ghermandi. “In TCR Eastern Europe I went close to finish on the podium a few times and last week I battled for the pole position in the Coppa Italia Turismo at Monza.
“I can’t wait to compete in Barcelona with the TCR Europe drivers and compare myself with professionals such as Mikel Azcona and Tom Coronel who are my favourite drivers.
“I can’t wait to be on the track and fight for the best possible results; the car is fast, the team is prepared and I’m ready!
“For next year, we are evaluating different options: racing again in TCR Eastern Europe, staying at home and compete in TCR Italy or making the leap to TCR Europe.”
Also joining the grid will be Felipe Fernández, the brother of Rubén, who had taken part in the previous event at Monza. The car will continue to be run by RC2 Junior Team with a second CUPRA again entered for Sergio López.
Felipe Fernández has already raced the CUPRA in TCR Italy last month, where he scored a best result of 11th in race two at Imola.
He raced in the Campeonato de España Resistencia last year, where he notched up a race victory and ended the year fifth overall, and has continued to race in that series in 2021, where he is currently third overall in the standings after three victories in a car shared with his brother.