Tom Coronel delighted to secure 11th hour return to WTCC with ROAL

Dutch driver Tom Coronel will take part in the 2016 World Touring Car Championship after finalising his programme just days ahead of the entry deadline. Coronel will drive for ROAL Motorsport for a sixth consecutive season, this year the only driver the team is entering in their Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1.

“Never before did it take me so long before I was able to announce my plans in motorsport,” said Coronel. “It was uncertain until the very end, and now, I feel privileged that I am able to announce a further season in the FIA WTCC.

“I have been racing in this series since it started and many people feel that the FIA WTCC without Tom Coronel is unthinkable, but all the pieces have to come together for it to happen.”

Coronel will again be sponsored by DHL, and will race in the RML-built Chevrolet Cruze, which will run with the British specialist’s latest upgrades.

“(The car) has now been taken apart completely and will be rebuilt to the latest specifications including modifications to the front and rear wheel suspension and the engine,” said Coronel.

Coronel is one of four Chevrolets entered for the season. One will be run by Münnich Motorsport for team principal René Münnich, while Campos Racing have announced plans to run two cars, one for John Filippi in his third season in the WTCC, with his team-mate still to be confirmed.

“I am glad that we will be able to compete with Tom as our driver in the FIA WTCC for the sixth year,” said team principal Robert Ravaglia. “Because of this long co-operation, we know each other well, which is a pleasant thing both for him and for our staff. As a team, you always want to perform at the highest level and that is certainly the case with our participation in the WTCC.”

Coronel will race with the #9 on his Chevrolet Cruze, the only driver to change his number between the 2015 and 2016 seasons, after having raced with the #4 in 2014-2015. The #9 was previously used by Sébastien Loeb, which signalled the former Citroën driver’s success in the World Rally Championship.

Coronel missed the test and launch event for the WTCC in Vallelunga, and so his first major outing will be the season opener on April 3rd in Paul Ricard, France.