*22 drivers, representing 12 nationalities and 5 customer racing departments in action
*9 drivers 25 or under at the start of the eagerly anticipated 2021 season
*Jessica Bäckman from Sweden is the WTCR’s first female racer
An impressive 22 all-season drivers with 63 WTCR race wins and 10 FIA world titles between them will line up for the 2021 WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup following the publication of the official entry list.
Representing five customer racing brands and 12 nationalities, the ace racers will face-off on the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife from June 3-5 for the first of 16 scheduled races over eight weekends in Europe and Asia.
The talent-packed line-up, a perfect blend of category experts and young, up-and-coming racers, underlines the appeal of the WTCR and the ongoing success of the category and represents a two-car increase from 2020.
Race-by-race entries remain open 14 days ahead of each event, providing opportunities for local heroes and international drivers to compete against the best touring car drivers in the world.
Xavier Gavory, WTCR Director, Eurosport Events: “Not only is the WTCR all-season entry list for 2021 big on quantity, it’s also very big on quality with a really high level of drivers set to take part, including nine 25 or under, plus the WTCR’s first female driver, Jessica Bäckman. Providing the essential supporting role are 11 highly professional and dedicated teams, while five customer racing departments are actively engaged in WTCR campaigns with all cars equipped with Goodyear tyres and using sustainable biofuel from P1 Racing Fuels for the first time. Although we’re still a few weeks away from the start of the new season the ingredients are all in place for another epic year of FIA World Touring Car racing.”
We three Kings of WTCR
All three WTCR title winners so far, Yann Ehrlacher, Norbert Michelisz and Gabriele Tarquini are entered along with Yvan Muller, a four-time FIA World Touring Car champion, plus Thed Björk and Rob Huff, who claimed the coveted award in 2017 and 2012 respectively.
Young stars rise
Of the 22 all-season drivers preparing for the season kick-off, nine will be 25 or under when combat begins at WTCR Race of Germany next month. The list includes current King of WTCR Yann Ehrlacher, plus fellow WTCR race winners Mikel Azcona and Santiago Urrutia. Completing the list of young guns are Andreas Bäckman, Jessica Bäckman, Bence Boldizs, Luca Engstler and Attila Tassi. Gilles Magnus, last season’s FIA Rookie Award winner, is the WTCR’s youngest driver and will be aged 21 years, nine months and four days when track action begins in Germany. Jessica Bäckman, Boldizs, Engstler, and Magnus are eligible for the redefined FIA WTCR Junior Driver Title.
History-maker Bäckman gets set
Jessica Bäckman will make history in 2021 when she becomes the first female driver to race in the WTCR. In fact, the Swede forms part of the WTCR’s first all-sibling line-up by partnering with brother Andreas Bäckman at new all-season WTCR entrant Target Competition.
Experience and expertise in abundance
The all-season WTCR line-up is once again packed with experience and expertise. Nathanaël Berthon, Tom Coronel, Néstor Girolami, Tiago Monteiro, Frédéric Vervisch and Jean-Karl Vernay are proven WTCR race winners, as is Esteban Guerrieri, who holds the record number of WTCR race victories with 10 triumphs to his name. Jordi Gené, who makes his WTCR debut in 2021, has been racing for more than 25 years and is four-time race winner in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, which the WTCR replaced for the 2018 season.
New cars and increased commitment from customer racing departments
Audi will unleash the second-generation RS 3 LMS and provide official support for two drivers, while there will be six all-new Hyundai Elantra N TCR to also take the fight to the race-winning CUPRA Leon Competición, Honda Civic Type R TCR and Lynk & Co 03 TCR. The CUPRA presence has increased from three to four cars, for Hyundai it’s an extra two. All cars are equipped with the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport race tyre in WTCR specification and will be powered by a sustainable biofuel from P1 Racing Fuels.
High five for WTCR Trophy
The WTCR Trophy from Eurosport Events for independent racers competing without financial support from customer racing departments and will be contested by five drivers. Andreas Bäckman, Jessica Bäckman, Bence Boldizs, Tom Coronel and Gilles Magnus are all eligible for the category, which was won in 2021 by Jean-Karl Vernay from Team Mulsanne.
WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup 2021: all-season entry list
Number Driver (NAT) Team Car*
3 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai Elantra N TCR
5 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai Elantra N TCR
8 Luca Engstler (DEU) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR
9 Attila Tassi (HUN) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
11 Thed Björk (SWE) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
12 Santiago Urrutia (URY) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
16 Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
17 Nathanaël Berthon (FRA) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
18 Tiago Monteiro (PRT) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
19 Andreas Bäckman (SWE) Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N TCR
22 Frédéric Vervisch (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
26 Jessica Bäckman (SWE) Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N TCR
28 Jordi Gené (ESP) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy CUPRA Leon Competición
29 Néstor Girolami (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
32 Tom Coronel (NLD) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
55 Bence Boldizs (HUN) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy CUPRA Leon Competición
68 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
69 Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR
79 Rob Huff (GBR) Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición
86 Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
96 Mikel Azcona (ESP) Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición
100 Yvan Muller (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co Lynk & C0 03 TCR
*All cars equipped with Goodyear tyres, use sustainable biofuel from P1 Racing Fuels
Team by team (Number Driver (NAT) Team Car*)
29 Néstor Girolami (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
86 Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
9 Attila Tassi (HUN) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
18 Tiago Monteiro (PRT) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR
3 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai Elantra N TCR
5 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai Elantra N TCR
16 Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
22 Frédéric Vervisch (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
17 Nathanaël Berthon (FRA) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
32 Tom Coronel (NLD) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS
11 Thed Björk (SWE) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
12 Santiago Urrutia (URY) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
68 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR
100 Yvan Muller (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co Lynk & C0 03 TCR
8 Luca Engstler (DEU) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR
69 Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR
19 Andreas Bäckman (SWE) Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N TCR
26 Jessica Bäckman (SWE) Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N TCR
79 Rob Huff (GBR) Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición
96 Mikel Azcona (ESP) Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición
28 Jordi Gené (ESP) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy CUPRA Leon Competición
55 Bence Boldizs (HUN) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy CUPRA Leon Competición
*All cars equipped with Goodyear tyres, use sustainable biofuel from P1 Racing Fuels
WTCR driver profiles 2021 document attached
WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup 2021 calendar
Rounds 1 and 2: WTCR Race of Germany, Nürburgring Nordschleife: June 3-5
Rounds 3 and 4: WTCR Race of Portugal, Circuito do Estoril: June 26-27
Rounds 5 and 6: WTCR Race of Spain, MotorLand Aragón: July 10-11
Rounds 7 and 8: WTCR Race of Italy, Adria International Raceway: July 31-August 1
Rounds 9 and 10: WTCR Race of Hungary, Hungaroring: August 21-22
Rounds 11 and 12: WTCR Race of South Korea, Inje Speedium: October 16-17
Rounds 13 and 14: WTCR Race of China, Ningbo International Speedpark: November 6-7
Rounds 15 and 16: WTCR Race of Macau, Circuito da Guia: November 19-21
