Nicky Catsburg will compete in a Hyundai Elantra N TCR under BRC Racing Team management. Although due to his guest status he cannot score points, he can be a good partner for his teammate and leader Mikel Azcona.
Nicky Catsburg will contest the last two rounds of the WTCR at the controls of a Hyundai Elantra N TCR that will be additionally fielded by the BRC Racing Team. The Dutchman, who already competed for the Italian squad in the championship during the 2019 season and also defended Hyundai’s interests in 2020 with Team Engstler, is back to contest the rounds of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
Catsburg left WTCR at the end of 2020 to focus on GT racing, where he works as an official driver for Corvette Racing at IMSA and for BMW Motorsport in different GT3 series. Nevertheless, in 2022 it has combined these programs with its presence at the FIA ETCRelectric touring car contest in which it has also defended the colors of Hyundai Motorsport in the last four rounds of the championship.
Gabriele Rizzo: “Adding a third Hyundai Elantra N TCR to our lineup is important to finish the year on a high note”
In the Hyundai project in the FIA ETCR he has coincided with Mikel Azcona and Norbert Michelisz, drivers who will be his teammates at the BRC Racing Team in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. In this regard, it should be remembered that due to his status as a guest Catsburg will not be able to add points in the championship, but Yes, he can act as a squire for the Spanish Mikel Azcona in the battle that he maintains for the title if the opportunity arises.
Catsburg will have to deal with the burden received by the TCRs that compete under the ‘wild card’, although he hopes to be competitive. In this regard, Nicky has the advantage of having filmed once in Bahrain, something that a good number of the drivers that make up the WTCR grid cannot say. Of course, he will go blindly to Saudi Arabia and, like the rest, he will have to discover the Jeddah Corniche circuit.
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guest status
Despite this 20-kilogram ballast that his Hyundai Elantra N TCR will carry as a guest driver, Nicky Catsburg He hopes to have a good role: «I know the championship and the team from previous years. I have enjoyed racing in WTCR and working with them. I am very proud to be the driver called to participate in this crucial part of the season. to support both Mikel and the team in their fight for the titles.
«Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are two very nice circuits, but they will be new to almost everyone on the grid. I’ve shot once in Bahrain, something that maybe can help us. The Hyundai Elantra N TCR is a completely new car for me, but I am confident that it can rise to the occasion quickly. I hope I can get good results and help the team to finish the season on the right foot »added the Dutchman.
under a different flag
The Dutchman will compete under the BRC Hyundai N Racing Team emblem, while Azcona and Michelisz will do it as usual under the banner of the BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse team. Beyond this, the three form a unity as the words of Gabriele Rizz: “Adding a third Hyundai Elantra N TCR to our lineup is important as it our goal is to finish the WTCR season with good results in the remaining two citations.
«Mikel and Norbert have done a fantastic job throughout the year against bigger teams and we expect the opposition to be even stronger in the remaining races. We welcome Nicky to the team to help us. He has shown to be competitive in the past and that adapts quickly which will help us on both weekends to be at the front of the grid and finish the season strong »concludes Rizzo.
Photos: FIA WTCR