Volvo sign Néstor Girolami and Nicky Catsburg alongside Thed Björk

Volvo’s factory team in the World Touring Car Championship, Polestar Cyan Racing, have signed 2015 Super TC 2000 champion Néstor Girolami and former Lada driver Nicky Catsburg to its line-up for this season

The two drivers will join Thed Björk at the team which targets championship success in its second year.

Girolami made a one-off appearance with Volvo at Motegi in Japan last year, scoring points in both races, and will now take part in his first full season in the WTCC, taking over as Argentina’s focus in the championship from fellow countryman José María López

“I am extremely grateful to get this opportunity together with Polestar Cyan Racing,” said Girolami.

“My first race with them last year was really promising and I felt right at home with the team. I hope to, together with everyone in the team, Thed and Nicky, take the next step forwards in the result lists this year.”

Girolami will be joined by Dutch driver Nicky Catsburg, who looked set to be left on the sidelines when Lada Sport announced its surprise departure from the championship ahead of the season finale in Qatar back in November.

Catsburg won his first WTCC race at the Moscow Raceway in front of Lada’s home crowd last year, and has been one of the front-runners in the championship ever since he was drafted in at Lada mid-season in 2015.

“I followed Polestar Cyan Racing’s progress closely from a competing team in 2016 and I am very glad to join them now,” said Catsburg. “Their results from last year were impressive and I hope that I, together with Thed and Néstor, can put on a strong performance in order to deliver our tough goals for the 2017 season.“

Remaining with the team is Sweden’s Thed Björk, with Fredrik Ekblom and Robert Dahlgren departing the race team during the off season.

“The feeling to win our first race already in our first season was incredible and it’s really boosted my confidence ahead of the new season, in which we’ve set ourselves new and higher targets,” said Björk.

“The off-season testing has been rewarding, I have never before driven this much ahead of a season and I feel well prepared to fight for the world title. I am also really glad to have Néstor and Nicky on board – they are both very fast and professional.”

Cyan Racing have built not only new cars for this year, but also a new complex in a six square kilometre workshop near Gothenburg, with a simulator, engine dyno and manufacturing facility.

“This is the result of many years of hard work and we are proud to create an unprecedented level of motorsport industry in Scandinavia,” said Cyan Racing CEO Christian Dahl. “The facilities are a vital part in our push for the 2017 WTCC title, but there is of course more to it. Our testing programme has proceeded according to plan and we have taken key steps forward in the development of the S60 Polestar TC1 race car.”

2017 WTCC driver line-up so far

Driver – Team – Car
Tiago Monteiro – Honda Racing Team JAS – Honda Civic WTCC
Norbert Michelisz – Honda Racing Team JAS – Honda Civic WTCC
Ryo Michigami – Honda Racing Team JAS – Honda Civic WTCC
Thed Björk – Polestar Cyan Racing – Volvo S60 TC1
Nicky Catsburg – Polestar Cyan Racing – Volvo S60 TC1
Néstor Girolami – Polestar Cyan Racing – Volvo S60 TC1
Rob Huff – Münnich Motorsport – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
Tom Chilton – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
John Filippi – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC
Aurélien Panis – Zengo Motorsport – Honda Civic WTCC
Mehdi Bennani – Sébastien Loeb Racing – Citroën C-Elysée WTCC*
Tom Coronel – ROAL Motorsport – Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1*
TBC – Zengo Motorsport – Honda Civic WTCC*

* Not yet confirmed