Nicola Baldan has completed the entry list for this weekend’s opening TCR Europe event of the season in Portimão, Portugal, where he will race a Hyundai Elantra N TCR run by Aggressive Team Italia.
Baldan, 40, made sporadic appearances in TCR Europe in 2018 and 2020, before joining the grid full-time last year in a Target Competition-run Elantra.
He scored two podiums in 2022 on his way to seventh overall in the drivers’ standings.
The 2017 TCR Italy champion will now switch teams for 2023, partnering Mikael Karlsson for the first two rounds after taking over the seat originally marked for Hungarian Levente Losonczy in those races.
Losonczy has already secured a podium finish for the team in the opening TCR Italy round of the year.
“I’m really happy to be at the start for the second consecutive year of TCR Europe; this was my goal and thanks to Aggressive Team Italia I managed to achive it,” said Baldan.
“I thank Mauro Guastamacchia [Team Principal] and all those who made this agreement possible. I will try to give 110% in the hope that good results can contribute to an extension of the collaboration also for the future.
“I already went very fast in Portimão last year, despite not knowing the track. Starting without testing will be a great unknown, but I know the car having already competed with it last year and so I am very confident we will be able to be competitive right from the start.”
Guastamacchia, whose team ran Pepe Oriola for the second half of 2022 after the Spaniard lost his drive at Brutal Fish Racing, is hoping for more participation in TCR Europe going forward.
“We are pleased to be able to give this opportunity to Nicola Baldan, whom we consider a fast and expert driver, who will certainly be able to help us in our growth path in this initial phase of the championship,” added Guastamacchia.
“For us, it will be the first complete adventure in TCR Europe, given that last year we made our debut with Pepe Oriola in the second half of the season.
“We have all the resources needed to be able to do well, and from this point of view we believe we have made an excellent choice.”
2023 TCR Europe Entry List – Portugal
| Driver | No. | Team | Car |
 Nicola BALDAN |
8 | Aggressive Team Italia | Hyundai Elantra N TCR |
 Viktor ANDERSSON |
10 | MA:GP | Lynk & Co 03 TCR |
 Viktor DAVIDOVSKI |
11 | Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
 Rubén FERNÁNDEZ Gil |
12 | RC2 Racing Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
| Felipe FERNÁNDEZ Gil |
19 | RC2 Racing Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
 Kobe PAUWELS |
22 | Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
 Isaac SMITH |
23 | Volcano Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
 John FILIPPI |
27 | Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
 Tom CORONEL |
34 | Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
| Lewis BROWN |
39 | Volcano Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
| Mikael KARLSSON |
48 | Aggressive Team Italia | Hyundai Elantra N TCR |
 Dušan BORKOVIĆ |
62 | Target Competition | Hyundai Elantra N TCR |
 Ben BARGWANNA |
71 | Team Clairet Sport – Burson Auto Parts Racing | Peugeot 308 TCR |
 Norbert MICHELISZ |
105 | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N TCR |
| Thed BJÖRK |
111 | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR |
 Santiago URRUTIA |
112 | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR |
| Frédéric VERVISCH |
122 | Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
 Néstor GIROLAMI |
129 | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR |
 MA Qing Hua |
155 | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR |
| Yann EHRLACHER |
168 | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR |
| Rob HUFF |
176 | Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II |
| Mikel AZCONA |
196 | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N TCR |