Pepe Oriola upgrades to TC1 Chevrolet for Macau

Pepe Oriola’s WTCC return at next weekend’s season finale at Macau will be behind the wheel of the Campos Racing team’s Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1, vacated by Serbian driver Dusan Borkovic due to problems with a hand injury.

The Spaniard, who hasn’t raced since last year’s Macau Grand Prix, and has been working with Campos Racing, advising their drivers Nikolay Karamyshev and Igor Skuz in this year’s FIA European Touring Car Cup, as well as his younger brother Jordi in the new SEAT León Eurocup, was scheduled to compete in Campos’s spare SEAT León WTCC in the TC2T class, but will now join Frenchman Hugo Valente in the team’s pair of TC1 class Chevrolets.

“I’m very excited for the two races in Macau. I want to do it well, although I’m aware that I’m not (on equal terms) as the rest of the drivers who have done all of the championship. My goal is to get a good result at home of my sponsor Cali Group Macau and I appreciate the opportunity that Campos Racing is giving to me in this important meeting”, said Oriola.

“It’s a car that will allow me to be very competitive on the track,” he added. “Macau is always a difficult circuit, urban and with a very narrow path, but I’ll do my best.”

Oriola will drive the #74 Chevrolet RML Cruze, while the SEAT León he was due to race will now be driven by Henry Kwong, who drove for the team in Shanghai and Suzuka, with William Lok and John Filippi in the team’s other two TC2T class SEATs.