The TCR International Series returns at Bahrain this weekend

After a long winter the TCR International Series hits the track for the first time in 2016 as part of the FIA Formula One World Championship support package in Bahrain. The curtain raiser will also mark the first time the series ever visits the Kingdom of Bahrain, meaning several drivers will have to get to grips with the track.

The entry list is quite interesting, as it marks the highest ever number of different manufacturers on the grid, with SEAT, Opel, Volkswagen, Subaru, Alfa Romeo and Honda all represented on track.

SEAT retains Craft-Bamboo Lukoil, with a strong line-up in 2015 runner-up Pepe Oriola and Sergey Afanasiev joined by British and World Touring Car Championship race winner James Nash. This year B3 Racing Hungarian team will also field three SEATs, with Dusan Borkovic, Mat’O Homola and Attila Tassi behind the wheel. The Hungarian teenager will be joined by two young and yet experienced drivers, as both had successful outings in the FIA European Touring Car Cup and participated in the WTCC as well.

The six León Racers entered for the season all feature the new update from SEAT Sport, which includes a new racing gearbox built by Sadev, as well as some aero and cooling tweaks. The new rules for 2016 include a reduction in the weight penalty applied for the use of a racing gearbox, which is now down to 25 kilos compared to 35 from last year.

With at least Oriola, Nash, Borkovic and Homola among the drivers expected to fight for the title, other manufacturers have their own candidates for what promises to be an exciting season.

2015 Champion Stefano Comini joined Leopard Racing and will use the León’s sister, the Volkswagen Golf, prepared by Leopard Racing. The Swiss will not only face competition from his former stablemates at SEAT, but also within the garage, with Jean-Karl Vernay in the other Leopard Racing Golf. The Frenchman, a 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, also enjoyed success in high profile series such as Indy Lights, and is ready to take on the fight.

Engstler Motorsport will field two more Golfs, with Mikhail Grachev joined by former ETCC racer Davit Kajaia. The Russian made good progress last year, although his learning curve was often disturbed by a change of machinery, going from Audi to Volkswagen after a taste of the SEAT León as well. The Georgian might pull a couple of surprises as long as he can adapt to the front-wheel driven Golf.

WestCoast Racing will again field three Honda Civic TCRs, albeit in the new “Step 2” spec, which was already tried last year by Gianni Morbidelli in Buriram and Macau. The Italian was in the fight for the championship for most of the season, although reliability issues and accidents prevented him from taking it to the wire in Macau, and is likely to be a competitor this year as well. Team-mate Kevin Gleason stepped up from a promising rookie last year to a pole sitter and race winner, meaning the American is also to be taken into account. Aku Pellinen will fill the remaining seat: the young Finn, also a former ETCC competitor, has a long experience in one-make series, including the Abarth 500 Cup, SEAT Ibiza Italian Cup and Italian Porsche Cup. The Finn will surely raise a few eyebrows during the season, and could be an outside contender to the championship.

Top Run’s Subaru returns on track with highly-rated Luigi Ferrara behind the wheel. The driver is a former Italian F3 champion and a multiple race winner in the now-defunct Superstars Series, and is expected to perform well. Bahrain will hopefully show the results of a winter spent developing the car, which was sent perhaps prematurely on the track but showed good promise in the hands of Luca Rangoni and Alain Menu at the end of last year.

Alfa Romeo finally returns to touring cars, although through touring car powerhouse Romeo Ferraris’ initiative. The Giulietta TCR will make its first appearance in the championship in Bahrain, with Superstars Series race winner Michela Cerruti behind the wheel. The Italian also had an outing in a Target Competition SEAT last year, scoring five points.

Championship winning team Target Competition made the switch from SEAT machinery to the new Opel Astra TCR prepared by the German manufacturer’s motorsport department. Andrea Belicchi and Jordi Oriola are surely two very talented drivers, although it remains to be seen where the car stands compared to the opposition.

The weekend in Bahrain will start on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 12.00, followed by another session at 16.50. Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 13.00, with the first race taking place on the same day at 19.30. The final race of the weekend is scheduled for 14.30, before the Formula One Grand Prix starts.