Eric Nève set to return to the WTCC in management reshuffle

Former Chevrolet Europe Motorsport Director Eric Nève is set to return to the FIA World Touring Car Championship in the wake of Marcello Lotti’s departure to help run the series, alongside Eurosport Events’ Francois Ribeiro, who has been promoted to Motorsport Director and formally takes over Lotti’s role.

Nève left the WTCC during the 2012 season, shortly after the confirmation that Chevrolet Europe were withdrawing from the Championship at the end of the year, to take up a role on the board at HWA, who run Mercedes-Benz’s motorsport programmes in the DTM and the FIA European Formula 3.

Nève is understood to be returning the WTCC as a consultant, as the Championship embarks on one of its most significant changes in recent years with introduction of new Super 2000 regulations with lighter and more powerful cars, with manufacturer programmes from French, Japanese and Russian motoring giants Citroën, Honda and Lada.

Marcello Lotti, who has helmed the Championship since 2005, and its previous incarnations as the European Super Touring Car Cup and European Touring Car Championship, is understood to have left the Championship by mutual agreement with series’ promoters Eurosport Events.

Francois Ribeiro, Lotti’s replacement, has been involved with the redevelopment of the FIA European Rally Championship, which Eurosport acquired the commercial rights for as of the 2013 season, which saw the broadcaster bring its experience from running its own rally championship, the Intercontintal Rally Challenge (IRC), which was closed at the end of 2012 after seven years in operation.

Marcello Lotti (left) with Francois Ribeiro (right)