The FIA has today agreed the creation of the FIA World Touring Car Cup, or WTCR, which will effectively replace the World Touring Car Championship and the TCR International Series for the next two years.
The agreement, which will run for two years in 2018 and 2019, will also see the discontinuation of the FIA European Touring Car Cup.
An agreement has been reached between the FIA, WTCR promoter Eurosport Events Ltd (EEL) and WSC Ltd, who own the TCR concept, trademark and branding.
The new name of WTCR has been introduced to reflect the switch from the TC1 regulations run in the WTCC, to the TCR technical regulations which were launched in 2015 with the birth of the TCR International Series.
The new series has been awarded the status of a World Cup, in part due to being unable to use the Championship nomenclature as a result of TCR allowing strictly no direct manufacturer entries.
The TCR technical regulations will be licensed by WSC to EEL and the FIA as the FIA WTCR regulations, which have been frozen until the end of 2019. Only TCR cars which are homologated by WSC and assigned with the FIA WTCR passport issued by the FIA will be eligible.
Entries will be capped at a maximum of 26 cars, with priority being given to existing WTCC and TCR International Series teams. Two further wildcard entries will be permitted at each event at the discretion of EEL and the FIA.
Entries open on December 15 and will remain open until January 30 2018. Two FIA World Cup titles will be awarded for Drivers and Teams respectively.
“We are very proud of this agreement that fully respects the very spirit of TCR,” said WSC CEO Marcello Lotti. “The association with such an experienced promoter as Eurosport Events together with the FIA label on the WTCR represents the ultimate recognition for the TCR concept that we launched three years ago and hasn’t stopped growing since.”
Head of Eurosport Events François Ribeiro expects the combination of resources to deliver a competitive package next season.
“The combination of the TCR technical regulations, the expertise and neutrality of the FIA and its stringent sporting rules and procedures, plus the promotional strength of Eurosport Events gained since 2005 will deliver a highly competitive grid, exciting racing and a fan-friendly format that can only drive success,” added Ribeiro.
WSC will retain the rights to promote and manage all of the TCR national and regional series, or to licence them to local promoters.
TouringCars.Net understands that WSC will retain an on-site presence throughout the duration of the WTCR cup.