Wiechers-Sport confirms Urs Sonderegger [updated]

Wiechers-Sport has confirmed the identity of their new driver for the first part of the FIA World Touring Car Championship 2011: 46-year-old Swiss driver Urs Sonderegger. Sonderegger is going to drive a BMW 320TC for the team, replacing Mehdi Bennani who has joined rival privateer team Proteam Motorsport.

“I’m very happy to have progressed to the WTCC, in which I will have to face the opposition of the best drivers in the world. As a rookie I will try to learn as quickly as possible and I’m sure that Wiechers Sport will give me the necessary support to be able to compete at the same level as the other WTCC drivers,” said Sonderegger.

The team will not be present at the WTCC season premiere at Curitiba in Brazil. The team will stay in Europe in order to test the new BMW 320 TC.

Sonderegger’s programme with Wiechers only extends to the races in Europe. The team is going to have a new driver to be revealed later for the races in Valencia, Suzuka, Guangdong and Macau.

Team manager Dominik Greiner is pleased to have Sonderegger onboard for the first part of the season.

“We can’t wait for the 2011 season to begin. Sonderegger is very motivated and will be a reinforcement for the whole team. He will drive with us for seven races and he sees this season as a chance to learn by confronting the best touring car drivers. His participation in the 2012 WTCC season is not ruled out,” said Greiner.

Sonderegger has previously driven in the SEAT León Supercopa in various countries. He started with the German and Spanish series in 2007 and has taken part in the Eurocup for the last two years.