The WTCR has lived in a continuous change of plans since the beginning of the year. The calendar of the contest has been ‘lame’ in a matter of weeks, since the category will not travel to Sochi as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but neither will it travel to the Czech Republic after the cancellation of the Most event in circumstances that have been clarified. And as if this were not enough, one of the strengths of the ‘renewed’ Discovery Sports Events proposal has been diluted in a matter of a month.
On February 18, Discovery Sports Events as promoter of the WTCR announced the creation of two runners-up within the WTCR Trophy, thus giving new incentives to all private drivers and teams that compete without the support of a manufacturer within the championship. Thus, the WTCR Trophy Europe and the WTCR Trophy Asia were born. However, the development of the first has not even started, while the launch of the second remains in doubt once the first runner-up has been annulled.
The WTCR Trophy, open for the first time to drivers competing under the ‘wild card’ modality, will not have two runner-up finishes after the World Touring Car Cup promoter’s change of plans. In the end, a WTCR Trophy Europe that encompasses the first six dates can lead to confusion with the TCR Europe, the continental event under TCR regulations that serves as a prelude to the WTCR itself and in which there is the greatest concentration of young talent in search of a hole to compete in the World Cup.
Although Discovery Sports Events has not ruled in these terms, everything indicates that the WTCR Trophy Europe would collide with the identity of the TCR Europe as the only series that awards a European title under TCR regulations. In the end, since the creation of TCR Europe in 2016, the series has allowed great talents to find -or rediscover- their way within the specialty. The history of champions of the contest, made up of Pierre-Yves Corthals, Aurélien Comte, Mikel Azcona, Josh Files and Mehdi Bennani proves it.
Photos: FIA WTCR