Photo: Wiechers Sport

Sonderegger: “I started racing because of WTCC”

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The 46-year-old Urs Sonderegger is going to make an emotionally loaded debut in the FIA World Touring Car Championship this season for Wiechers-Sport.
“It was my dream to be in the WTCC. The reason that I first started racing was to compete in this series and this will finally happen this year,” said Sonderegger to TouringCarTimes.

Sonderegger is going to drive a BMW 320 TC for the German independent team.

“I have been in touch with Wiechers-Sport since last year, but it wasn’t until the end of last month that we reached an agreement. Everything was in place for my dream to come true and I’m happy to get chance,” said Sonderegger.

The Swiss driver has previously driven the SEAT León Eurocup and is going to have to adapt to the different characteristics rear-wheel driven BMW quickly.

“It will surely be a new feeling, as I’ve only driven a Porsche a few years ago before switching to the Seat Leòn. I will just learn it as I go along and the tests we are going to do will surely help me with that,” said Sonderegger.

New to Sonderegger is also many of the tracks in the FIA World Touring Car Championship calendar.

“I will use a driving simulator to help me learn the tracks. It will surely be a boost to my learning process, although I will use the team’s data from the previous years and the track maps,” said Sonderegger.

While Sonderegger experienced tough touring car racing in the SEAT León Eurocup, he does not expect an easy time in the WTCC.

“The Eurocup was a hard series with very strong competitors and a highly professional organization. It was the best way to really learn how to drive touring cars. Nevertheless, I do realize that this is my rookie season and I will have to learn to be competitive against the other drivers,” said Sonderegger.

Sonderegger is going to skip the season opener in Curitiba, Brazil, and will start his WTCC season in Zolder, where the European season begins. The car is currently being updated to 320 TC specification with the new 1.6 turbo engine and Wiechers-Sport will test it as soon as it is delivered.