TCR World Tour 2023 (formerly known as WTCR)

[NaBUru38]

Let's open a new thread for the 2023 WTCR season.

The AUVO (El Pinar owners) have said that they would host a round on August 6, with Termas de Rio Hondo on August 20.

That's if they continue rebuilding the racetrack, which requires government subsidies. The government has said that they will not invest on temporary facilities, which definitely excludes a street race.

http://www.motoresenpunta.com/pinar-6-de-agosto/

[Racing Harz]

The FIA WTCR won´t exist in it´s Format in 2023. The Series will end after 2022. For 2023 a "One-Off"-Event is planned.

https://www.touringcartimes.com/2022...2022-campaign/
https://www.touringcartimes.com/2022...t-format-2023/

[tux]

Looool the guy genuinely thinks the fuel they use is the reason for the problems they have https://twitter.com/autosport/status...bt5Vn3vk600ENA

[redshoes]

So basically a return to the World Cup style event from the mid 90s. Hopefully better attended and better promoted that the FIA Motorsports Games which has a similar format of drivers representing national teams.

[pimmy]

Originally Posted by redshoes

So basically a return to the World Cup style event from the mid 90s. Hopefully better attended and better promoted that the FIA Motorsports Games which has a similar format of drivers representing national teams.

With DSE at the helm? Unlikely. It's absolutely staggering that their incompetence has killed a series which was very healthy just a few years ago. And before anyone mentions COVID or Russia, other series of comparable standing have survived.

[porsche962fan]

^

the series wasn't healthy since 2008

[tux]

Enjoy the 15 car race with participants decided by a system that only mathematicians can work out https://twitter.com/neilhudson/statu...nsRz9x79oxutPQ

[TuteZaek]

Originally Posted by tux

Enjoy the 15 car race with participants decided by a system that only mathematicians can work out https://twitter.com/neilhudson/statu...nsRz9x79oxutPQ

It's a joke right?

Lets say that some of the actual top WCTR drivers go...say five.
Then every regional champion (Europe, Asia, South America...) and maybe a pair of runner ups...
And thats it, maybe a National Champion

Thats if we forget about the manufacturers support for certain drivers...

Yeah, thats gonna work so ok that it will become the okaiest thing ever....

[Jon411]

The series has needed to be put out of its misery for a while now, and I don't think the previous rules (TC1?) were any better when it was the WTCC which ultimately means its down to poor management despite them blaming fuel and whatever questionable justifications they come up with.



(Covid aside), For me the championship hasn't lived up to the status of being a world series for a long time now - cars, choice of tracks, manufacturer driven politics, the issues with the tyres, the way the BOP can mean a car can go from the front to the back of the grid almost from one race weekend to the next, the poor TV coverage and promotion from Discovery/ Eurosport.


Hopefully the force for a rethink will mean something better can be created - even if it takes a few years for it to grow again.

[porsche962fan]

Tom Coronel doesn't have kind words for it

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by porsche962fan

Tom Coronel doesn't have kind words for it

I agree with him.
(https://www.touringcartimes.com/2022...nd-tcr-future/)

[FIRE]

Wise decision. Manufacturers should put their money into eTCR.

[Alessio]

Well said as always, Tom...I'm glad to hear that he's committed to racing for a few more years, we need more honest and passionate racers like him.

I kind of like the idea of the 'World Tour', although I would have preferred it be left as an open-entry single-race 'World Cup' and, given how series that have adopted a similar format like Formula Ford EuroCup and BeNeLux TCR recently turned out, I'm concerned as to how well it will actually work. Fingers crossed...

[FIRE]

Originally Posted by Alessio

Well said as always, Tom...I'm glad to hear that he's committed to racing for a few more years, we need more honest and passionate racers like him.

I kind of like the idea of the 'World Tour', although I would have preferred it be left as an open-entry single-race 'World Cup' and, given how series that have adopted a similar format like Formula Ford EuroCup and BeNeLux TCR recently turned out, I'm concerned as to how well it will actually work. Fingers crossed...

Agree about the open-entry formula, on the other hand if they manage to get the best drivers of the national/regional series which results in a full grid there's no need for open entry drivers. If they are good they are already invited.

It will be interesting to see if the drivers like Girolami, Ehrlacher, Huff turn up in a TCR series.

[Evantra]

Originally Posted by FIRE

It will be interesting to see if the drivers like Girolami, Ehrlacher, Huff turn up in a TCR series.

TCR Europe could get quite a boost next year then! ETCR too if there are any more cars joining the grid.

[S griffin]

I think a world cup like they did with Super Touring in the mid 90s might be the best way to go. It's clear WTCR needs a miracle to keep going as a championship

[iceman-1987]

this is the consequence of the hypocrisy that wtcr promoters continued to repeat everyone about the fact that it was a champions without entrance of manufucatures... when it was clear that it was not like that

another big bull**it is the BOP! Is there BOP in f1? is there BOP in wrc? there is just in WEC/GT and it has sense because every manufacture who compete there bring a different type of engine!

i always said that we must let enter manufacture officially in this serie! it's a WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP so it's normal that we must have official cars, teams and drivers and ofc also private team and drivers!

as Coronel said why if he has a DNF and another driver with the same his car win the race the following round all drivers of the same car must be penalized with extra kg or by BOP???

Maybe i make things to easy but in my opinion this is how things HAD TO BE DONE:
1 allow entrance to manufactures official without a limit of cars with a minimum of two cars
2 organize 2/3 sessions of test where all teams and driver partecipates! NO PRIVATE TEST for anyone! all manufactures, team and drivers must have same possibility to develop the car
3 no BOP but a weight compensation for the top 5 drivers in each race (25kg - 20 - 15 - 10 - 5), the extra weight will be add in the following round!
4 stop of those S**T of races inside city! they are BORING, NOT spectacular at all and most important in case of crash it would cost lots money to repair them!
5 Bring the championship where there is passion for these type of races! 2 rounds in south america (brazil and argentina) in the opening season, 6 rounds in europe and finish the season in asia with 3 rounds in Japan, China and Macau (i'm not such a big fan of this street circuit but let's say that it can be considered the Montecarlo of Touring cars)
6 one qualify session of 30 minutes. the top 10 drivers will compete for the Pole Position! one single lap for each drivers and 2 points given for the driver who make pole.
7 two races on sunday of 75km one in the morning and one in the afternoon to allow team to repair cars in case of damage or engine problems.
8 all manufactures must sign a multiple years of contract (from 2 to 3 years) to partecipation to the championship.

this would be my idea of a world touring car championship!

[GusGasfuss]

I believe, Touring car world championships are a problem since the 80s.
Even with Grp. A it was a big political thing, and of course Touring cars are different around the world (America, Australia, Europe), so there can't be a match.


In a way, the Super Touring approach of the mid 90s was closest to a real world-wide series, because even in USA/AUS there were these cars on sale for street use. TCR base cars are mainly made for Europe/Asia, some brands even don't sell in USA/AUS.


European Championship might be the biggest possible approach, but even then you need different budgets regarding your origin (scandinavian racers need to travel more for mainly south-european races).


I think it is a good idea, to count a world-ranking based on local series. If it will work, is something to test.

Maybe it will be a good way, to bring more cars in local TCR-series, if you can earn points even there.

[TuteZaek]

Originally Posted by GusGasfuss

Maybe it will be a good way, to bring more cars in local TCR-series, if you can earn points even there.

I don't know why, but this sounds, to me, as the ATP circuit on tennis.... and is kinda interesting.

Points awarded for different races, and a final race with the top scorers at the end of the season.

[S griffin]

The 1987 WTCC could have worked, if they hadn't let Bernie get involved with it. It was clear he only cared about F1, so it was obvious he was only there to screw the championship

It's true though that the main problem is so many tin top series run to different regs and not every country has TCR as the main Touring car championship. Like with Britain, Australia and until recently, Germany

[GusGasfuss]

Originally Posted by S griffin

The 1987 WTCC could have worked, if they hadn't let Bernie get involved with it. It was clear he only cared about F1, so it was obvious he was only there to screw the championship

It's true though that the main problem is so many tin top series run to different regs and not every country has TCR as the main Touring car championship. Like with Britain, Australia and until recently, Germany

I don't think so. Normal aspirated 2,3l BMW against 2.0l Turbocharged Ford and 1,8l Turbocharged Alfas - there is always the need for BOP throught weight and air-restriction. No one will ever be happy with it.



I still believe the 2.0l Super Touring was most equal, except of different driven axles...

[S griffin]

The ETCC worked for a long time. There's no reason why the original WTCC couldn't have worked, if only for a bit if it had been managed properly

[pimmy]

Yeah ETCC was around for nearly a quarter of a century, then Bernie came along and international touring car racing was dead within the span of 2 years.

I am intrigued by this new World Tour format. Seems similar to the old European Rally Championship.

[porsche962fan]

Originally Posted by pimmy

Yeah ETCC was around for nearly a quarter of a century, then Bernie came along and international touring car racing was dead within the span of 2 years.

Bernie was the Grim Reaper of good Motorsport, as Group C WSC had same fate and later the DTM/ ITC and to a degree BPR Global GT when it was transformed into FIA GT as the FIA took control and made everything worse

[Sodemo]

Originally Posted by S griffin

The ETCC worked for a long time. There's no reason why the original WTCC couldn't have worked, if only for a bit if it had been managed properly

I think the FIA together with SEAT effectively killed the WTCC after the TDi debacle.