After announcing his participation in the TCR Europe Series earlier this month, it is now clear that Tom Coronel will once again be competing in the FIA WTCR – World Touring Car Cup. He will also compete in this series with an Audi RS 3 LMS, used by the Belgian team Comtoyou Racing.
Tom Coronel again in TCR Europe Series.
Together with his French teammate Nathanaël Berthon, Coronel drives under the flag of the Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport. “I’ve been part of the top international touring car series from the start, so I’m glad it worked again this year. With a double program it will be a busy season again, but that’s only nice,” says Tom Coronel. In addition to DHL, Eurol, ERU Prestige and Tricorp are important partners in the project.
Last year Tom Coronel was one of four drivers to compete with the new Audi RS 3 LMS in the FIA WTCR. “At that time Nathanaël Berthon and I had already been on the podium a few times. In fact, my third place in Aragón was the very first podium finish for the new Audi, which I am quite proud of,” said Coronel. “The goal this year is to be able to compete for victories as well.” In addition to Coronel and Berthon, the Belgian Gilles Magnus and the Moroccan Mehdi Bennani will also be in action with an Audi from the Comtoyou team. “Gilles is a young Belgian talent who was also there last year and with Mehdi I have been riding in all kinds of championships for more than ten years. Nice to have it back.” As in the TCR Europe Series, Coronel will also race in the FIA WTCR with the starting number 33 as a reference to his 33rd season in motorsport.
In the FIA WTCR – World Touring Car Cup, the race weekend initially scheduled for early April at the Most in the Czech Republic was cancelled. With that, the season will now start on May 7 and 8 at the street circuit of Pau in southwestern France. Three weeks later, races are scheduled for May 27 and 28 at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife as support for the 24-hour race there. The Hungaroring will take place on June 11 and 12, June 25 and 26 at the Motorland Aragón circuit in Spain, followed a week later on July 2 and 3 by the races at the Vila Real street circuit in Portugal. Two new events were recently added to the calendar: the Autodromo Vallelunga near Rome on July 23 and 24 and the Anneau du Rhin near Colmar in eastern France on August 6 and 7.
After the summer break, the Asian part of the calendar will follow with races at the Inje Speedium in South Korea on October 8 and 9, the Ningbo circuit in China on November 5 and 6 and the final on the Macau street circuit on November 19 and 20 . Tom Coronel says: “I hope that after two years of postponements, cancellations and changes, the season can now go ahead as planned. It’s great that we’re driving in Pau, where I always liked coming with the WTCC. The Nordschleife and Macau are the most beautiful circuits in the world for me, so it’s great that they are on it again. Vila Real coincides with TCR Europe at the Norisring, so I’m not sure how I’m going to do it that weekend, but we still have time for that. In any case, I’m looking forward to it again!”
TCR Europe & FIA WTCR 2022 calendar
30 april – 1 mei, Autódromo Internacional Algarve, Portugal (TCR)
7 – 8 mei, Pau Ville, Frankrijk (WTCR)
21 – 22 mei, Circuit Paul Ricard, Frankrijk (TCR)
26 – 28 mei, Nürburgring Nordschleife, Duitsland (WTCR)
11 – 12 juni, Hungaroring, Hongarije (WTCR)
18 – 19 juni, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, België (TCR)
25 – 26 juni, Motorland Aragón, Spanje (WTCR)
2 – 3 juli, Norisring, Duitsland (TCR)
2 – 3 juli, Vila Real, Portugal (WTCR)
23 – 24 juli, Autodromo Vallelunga, Italië (WTCR)
6 – 7 augustus, Anneau du Rhin, Frankrijk (WTCR)
27 – 28 augustus, Nürburgring, Duitsland (TCR)
23 – 25 september, Monza ENI Circuit, Italië (TCR)
8 – 9 oktober, Inje Speedium, Zuid Korea (WTCR)
15 – 16 oktober, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Spanje (TCR)
5 – 6 november, Ningbo, China (WTCR)
18 – 20 november, Circuito Da Guia, Macau (WTCR)