Italian ace Luca Filippi will take part in this year’s inaugural electric PURE ETCR series with an Alfa Romeo Giulia built by Romeo Ferraris, partnering Stefano Coletti at the Italian team.
Filippi had already been announced as a test driver for the Romeo Ferraris squad, but he has now been confirmed for a race seat when the new series gets underway at Vallelunga next month.
Filippi, 35, first raced a combustion-engined TCR car in the 2019 TCR Europe series, where he was at the wheel of a BRC Racing Hyundai i30 N.
Last year he joined the WTCR grid with Team Mulsanne, racing one of Romeo Ferrari’s Alfa Romeo Giulietta cars as he built a relationship with the team.
Now the former single-seater ace, who has also raced in Formula E, will also get to compete in anger in ETCR as he is the latest name confirmed for the series, which will get full FIA backing from next year.
Filippi got his first taste of the Alfa Romeo Giulia in late March, with testing continuing apace since.
“I have accepted with enthusiasm the opportunity to join Romeo Ferraris to compete in PURE ETCR, a very innovative project in all respects,” said Filippi.
“From a professional point of view, as a driver, it is very nice to share my experience in electric and touring-car racing with a constructor.
“I felt completely at ease working last year with Michela Cerruti, Mario Ferraris and the entire Romeo Ferraris staff.
“I am sure that we will continue that trend, and we are ready to take up a bigger and even more exciting challenge.”
Michela Cerruti, Romeo Ferraris Operations Manager, is keen to welcome Filippi to a race seat, given he already has experience with electric car racing, having competed in the 2017 – 2018 FIA Formula E season.
“We are very happy to have in our line-up for the PURE ETCR 2021 programme a driver with great experience and who is already familiar with electric cars,” said Cerruti.
“This has been a decisive factor in our choice alongside the good relationship established last year in FIA WTCR.
“Luca has already given us useful indications on the Giulia ETCR that we will use in the weeks, ahead of the first round at Vallelunga, where we will debut with two high-profile drivers.”
Xavier Gavory, PURE ETCR Sporting Director, was pleased to have another top-level driver join the series, alongside the likes of Jordi Gené (CUPRA), Mattias Ekström (CUPRA), Augusto Farfus (Hyundai) and Jean-Karl Vernay (Hyundai).
“We are delighted to welcome Luca to PURE ETCR and bolster a list of truly world-class drivers for our first season,” added Gavory.
“His CV speaks for itself and his experience of racing electric cars and touring cars over the past couple of years will surely be of benefit to Romeo Ferraris as they target success with the Giulia ETCR.
“The way the grid is shaping up, PURE ETCR looks set to be as unpredictable as it will be action-packed. The fans are going to love it.”