The FIA has given recognition to the TCR World Tour for 2024, meaning that world-level touring car racing returns to the line-up of FIA motorsport series after a one-year absence.
The TCR World Tour was created for the 2023 season to fill the void left when previous FIA World Tour Car promoter Discovery Sports Events terminated its agreement to run the FIA WTCR at the end of 2022.
The 2023 TCR World Tour was thus run without FIA backing, but saw a competitive nine-round championship put together with events in four continents.
An agreement has been signed between world motor sport’s governing body the FIA and WSC Group, the rights holder for the TCR trademark.
The 2024 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour will be the first in a three-year initial agreement between the two organisations.
The format of races and their duration will vary in the series, according to the regulations of the national or regional series which is hosting the TCR World Tour.
The second series of the TCR World Tour will visit six different continents – Europe, Africa, North America, South America, Asia and Australasia – for a truly international calendar.
The nine-event series will be followed by the second running of the TCR World Ranking Final, which will also gain FIA recognition.
The calendar begins with its sole European event at Vallelunga in Italy, before the second event signals a return of tin-tops to Marrakech for the first time since 2019.
The USA is a new entry on the calendar with a round at Mid-Ohio, before the fourth event at a yet-to-be-confirmed Brazilian circuit in July.
El Pinar in Uruguay returns to host the fifth event the following month, before a seven-week break ahead of the sixth event in China, a newcomer to the schedule.
The series concludes in much the same way as in 2023, with a brace of events in Australia at the start of November at Sydney and Bathurst, before the season finale on the streets of Macau a week later.
“Being present on six different continents is a great start as we are set for the return of world-level FIA touring car racing,” said Marek Nawarecki, FIA Senior Circuit Sport Director.
“The format that Kumho FIA TCR World Tour will rely on next year is something that will help to build bridges between national- and regional-level touring car series and the pinnacle of touring car racing, creating a healthy ecosystem for this form of racing.
“The FIA will bring its regulatory framework to TCR World Tour, overseeing Sporting and Technical Regulations and their application, which is essential given that events of different local series on the calendar have their respective differences.”
Alan Gow, FIA Touring Car Commission President, referenced the constant evolution in the recent history of world-level touring car racing.
“Over the years, world touring car racing has been undergoing constant evolution, with different technical regulations and formats utilised, and with FIA titles decided either through a series or at a single event,” added Gow.
“Given that TCR is a proven set of technical regulations with a strong customer racing platform, the concept behind the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour is something that made a lot of sense for the FIA to support it, and we look forward to its success.”
WSC President Marcello Lotti says that FIA recognition provides important motivation to continue to push the development of TCR worldwide.
“We are immensely proud that, after only one racing season, the concept of the Kumho TCR World Tour has already met with general approval from the motor sport community,” said Lotti.
“2023 has been successful thanks to the trust and support of the promoters of several national and regional TCR championships, the manufacturers, teams and drivers.
“To now be able to award an FIA title is the icing on the cake and provides us with powerful motivation to do our utmost to make this platform even stronger and more popular.
“Which is why our first efforts have been to focus on putting together an ambitious and attractive calendar for the next season.
“A string of nine events that makes the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour the first ever international series for touring cars to visit six continents.”
2024 FIA TCR World Tour Calendar
Round 1 – Vallelunga (Italy) – 19-21 April
Round 2 – Marrakech (Morocco) – 3-4 May
Round 3 – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (USA) – 7-8 June
Round 4 – TBC (Brazil) – 19-21 July
Round 5 – El Pinar (Uruguay) – 2-4 August
Round 6 – Zhouzhou (China) – 20-22 September
Round 7 – Sydney Motorsport Park (Australia) – 1-2 November
Round 8 – Mount Panorama (Australia) – 7-9 November
Round 9 – Circuito da Guia (Macau) – 14-17 November