Discussions between the FIA, WSC Group as TCR concept manager, Discovery Sports Events as WTCR promoter and Goodyear as World Touring Car Cup tire supplier have resulted in a series of measures to try to improve the situation in the championship and avoid the repeated tire problems that have been experienced throughout the season and that worsened in Vallelunga. With this in mind, the minimum weight of all cars has been reduced by 20 kilogramsIn addition to drawing two test sessions prior to the Anneau du Rhin event.
Taking into account this reduction of 20 kilograms in the running weight of each vehicle, the Audi RS 3 LMS TCR would start with a base weight of 1,245 kilos in Anneau du Rhin, same execution weight as the CUPRA León Competición. For its part, the Hyundai Elantra N TCR has a revised construction weight of 1,255 kilograms. The Honda Civic Type R is slightly heavier by concept and has a base weight of 1,265 kilograms.while the Lynk & Co, absent after the withdrawal of the brand, has a weight of 1,295 kilos.
Of course, once this reduction of 20 kilos has been applied to the base weight of all the cars present in the WTCR, it is necessary to add the compensation ballasts. In this sense, there is only one car that has to drag extra weight in Anneau du Rhin in the absence of the Lynk & Co 03 TCR and the loss of these ballasts by the Audi. In this sense, the Honda Civic Type R will carry an additional 40 kilos. For this reason, Honda TCRs will compete with a final weight of 1,305 kilograms.
Despite carrying this additional weight compared to its rivals, the Honda Civic Type R have dominated the second of the two additional tests which have been created to test the tire configuration that Goodyear has established for Anneau du Rhin. If the first test session held on Thursday was held ‘in secret’, without the final times of each driver having been published, the second training session does have published times. Cronos in which Néstor Girolami stands out after signing a record of 1:27.036.
The Argentine driver has led the double of Honda and Münnich Motorsport after beating his teammate Esteban Guerrieri by 78 thousandths. For his part, Gilles Magnus was third, while Mikel Azcona has finished in fourth position. Of course, the distances between each other have been important and the WTCR leader has finished this second test session 666 thousandths behind the leader. Tiago Monteiro has completed the ‘top 5’ with the third of the Honda Civic Type R.
Photos: FIA WTCR