Nicola Baldan confirmed at the end of April his intention to have a partial program in the WTCR. The objective of the 39-year-old Italian rider was to compete in two ‘wild cards’, thus having a presence in the World Cup at the Adria and Hungaroring rounds. However, the test on the Italian track will not be held on the scheduled date and that had generated some doubts around Nicola’s project. However, the pilot wanted to confront these rumors and Baldan has confirmed that he will be with a Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N TCR at the Hungaroring.
Baldan’s presence in Budapest brings the number of cars on the grid to 23, with Target Competition lining up three Hyundais for the Italian driver himself and the Bäckman brothers. With his presence in Hungary already assured, Nicola Baldan has stated: «I’ve dreamed of this moment since I was a kid, competing at the highest level. It has been one of the great goals throughout my career. I know it will be very difficult, I have to discover the car and the track and the WTCR drivers are very fast. I have a lot to learn, I will work closely with the team to achieve the best possible performance.
Baldan’s ‘wild card’ status means that he will not be able to score points and that he will carry 10 kilos of additional ballast in his Hyundai Elantra N TCR. Still, the Target driver at TCR Italia is highly motivated by his WTCR debut: “I’m confident about this project. I will have fun although I know myself and will also try to be as competitive as I can with the Hyundai TCR. I want to thank all the partners who have supported me to make this dream come true and especially my father. He is always by my side and was a real support after my accident in 2018. My father has pushed me like nobody else to compete again».