Photo: WTCC Media

Super TC 2000 champion Néstor Girolami joins Lada for test tomorrow

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The reigning Argentinian Super TC 2000 champion Néstor Girolami will join Lada Sport Rosneft tomorrow for a test at the Hungaroring. The Argentinian visited his first race in the FIA World Touring Car Championship at the weekend, and hopes to follow in the footsteps of José María López and find a drive in the championship next year.

The 25-year-old was invited by championship organisers Eurosport Events to take part in tomorrow’s test along with a number of other drivers, while the works Lada team begin planning for the future in order to take the fight to Citroën with the new Vesta in earnest from 2016, as they continue to develop the car on track this year.

“It’s my first time at the WTCC and my first time at the Hungaroring, and it’s a fantastic opportunity for me,” said Girolami to TouringCarTimes. “I got the news on Tuesday, and on Friday evening I had a flight to come to the Hungaroring,” he added.

“I am very happy with the opportunity to be here and it’s my dream to race here,” added the Super TC 2000 Peugeot driver.

“I have a test on Tuesday with Lada. I am the championship winner of Super TC 2000 in 2014, and the WTCC saw this and called me for this test, so it’s very important for me.

“It’s a dream for me to race in Europe and to be with a factory team. It’s a good opportunity, but we’re taking it step-by-step. I want to concentrate on the test first and the hopefully there will be good news later.”

Girolami is precluded from taking part in any rounds of the 2015 season due to his contract with Peugeot Argentina, and is doubly ruled out of the next weekend at the Nürburgring Nordschleife as a replacement for the unwell James Thompson due to clashing commitments in the Super TC 2000 Championship, which will be racing at Termas de Río Hondo at the same time.

It is expected that Lada will field a driver with Nürburgring experience to replace Thompson at the race in just under two weeks time, and will also be taking part in the test tomorrow.