Father-and-son duo Leonel and Tiago Pernía will continue with Honda YPF Racing in the 2026 TCR South America series, as Leonel aims to defend the title he won in 2025.
Experienced touring car star Leonel made his début in TCR in 2024, when he won two races and was consistently on the pace in a part-season campaign, eventually finishing sixth overall in the drivers’ standings after missing two events due to clashing commitments.
The 50-year-old Argentine moved to the Squadra Martino-run Honda team for 2026 and won six times, scoring a total of 13 podiums, to clinch the overall title.
He will now return to defend his title with the team next year, as the grid in TCR South America continues to grow.
Tiago made his TCR début at Termas de Río Hondo in 2024, before committing to a full campaign in 2025.
The 22-year-old had a consistent campaign, with a highlight being victory in race one at the Circuito dos Cristais in Brazil. He ended the year seventh overall in the standings, having missed one event due to Visa issues.
Tiago Pernía has also revealed that he is seeking additional challenges in 2026 which could see him compete in TCR Europe.
Honda YPF Racing has also committed to running four of the newer-generation Honda Civic Type-R FL5 cars next year, with its other drivers yet to be confirmed.