Close championship battle recommences after two month break in Thailand
The TCR International Series starts its Asian leg of the season at the Buriram International Circuit in Thailand this weekend, with the series returning to the new facility for the third consecutive season, with an intense battle for the 2017 drivers’ title resuming.
After a strong race meeting eight weeks’ ago at Oschersleben, Team WRT’s Jean-Karl Vernay is back in the lead of the championship in his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, but only just, as he’s merely two points ahead of M1RA driver Attila Tassi, with the 18-year-old a true threat, having won both races at his home race in Hungary.
Third in the championship is M1RA driver Roberto Colciago, but the Italian will be absent this weekend due to injuries sustained during his first lap crash in the second race at Oschersleben, so he’s been replaced by team owner and WTCC title contender Norbert Michelisz as a matter of force majeure.
Fourth in the championship is Comtoyou Racing’s Stefano Comini, with the double champion just nine points behind his former WRT team-mate Vernay in the points table, while Pepe Oriola is the top of the SEAT drivers in the Craft-Bamboo Racing entry, 43 points down.
Such is the close nature of this year’s championship, that despite being seven rounds of ten in, no one is statistically out of the championship, with 165 points still available with leader Vernay only on 153.
Although at this points there’s a clear breakaway group forming, with Oriola needing some good luck to fall his way and/or bad luck to strike his rivals to move back into play, while Vernay, Tassi and Comini are the main contenders who will battle it out for the championship. All three drivers are also able to fully rely on support from their experienced part-time team-mates, Rob Huff, Norbert Michelisz and Frédéric Vervisch respectively.
With a number of European entrants now having completed their commitment in order to qualify for next month’s TCR Europe Trophy race, the championship has once again added the TCR Thailand field to the grid this year, which brings the entry back to 24 cars. Meanwhile, Zengo Motorsport have withdrawn their Kia Cee’d GT TCR for the rest of the season as they focus on a full campaign with the STARD-built car in 2018.
As well as the six entries from TCR Thailand, there are two Thai stars taking over behind the wheel of two of the regular TCR International Series cars, with Munkong Sathienthirakul taking over from Grégoire Demoustier at DG Sport Compétition, who decided to call time on his TCR sojourn back in Germany, and with Kantadhee Kusiri, the TCR Asia Series points leader, replacing Giacomo Altoè at WestCoast Racing, with the Italian having made the move to join the Hungarian M1RA squad for the remainder of the season.
The first action gets underway at 10:30 ICT (05:30 CET) on Saturday, for Free Practice 1.
Entry list
No – Driver – Nat – Team – Car
1 – Stefano Comini – SUI – Comtoyou Racing – Audi RS 3 LMS
2 – Jean-Karl Vernay – FRA – Team WRT – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
3 – Rob Huff – GBR – Team WRT – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
6 – Frédéric Vervisch – BEL – Comtoyou Racing – Audi RS 3 LMS
9 – Attila Tassi – HUN – M1RA – Honda Civic TCR
10 – Gianni Morbidelli – ITA – WestCoast Racing – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
16 – Davit Kajaia – GEO – GE-Force – Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR
17 – Daniel Lloyd – GBR – Craft-Bamboo Racing – SEAT León TCR
18 – Duncan Ende – USA – Icarus Motorsports – SEAT León TCR
19 – Kantadhee Kusiri – THA – WestCoast Racing – Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR
21 – Giacomo Altoè – ITA – M1RA – Honda Civic TCR
28 – Aurélien Panis – FRA – Boutsen Ginion Racing – Honda Civic TCR
54 – James Nash – GBR – Craft-Bamboo Racing – SEAT León TCR
59 – Norbert Michelisz – HUN – M1RA – Honda Civic TCR
62 – Dušan Borković – SRB – GE-Force – Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR
65 – Douglas Khoo – MAL – Viper Niza Racing – SEAT León TCR
67 – Munkong Sathienthirakul – THA – DG Sport Compétition – Opel Astra TCR
70 – Mat’o Homola – SVK – DG Sport Compétition – Opel Astra TCR
74 – Pepe Oriola – SPN – Craft-Bamboo Racing – SEAT León TCR
83 – Rattanin Leenutaphong – THA – Yontrakit Racing Team – SEAT León TCR DSG
84 – Parasit Promsombat – THA – RMI Racing Team – SEAT León TCR DSG
85 – Chariya Nuya – THA – Billionaire Boys Racing – Honda Civic TCR
86 – Nattachak Hanjitkasen – THA – TBN MK Ihere Racing – Honda Civic TCR
96 – Nattanid Leewattanavaragul – THA – Morin Racing Team – SEAT León TCR DSG
Timetable
Saturday 2nd September
10:30 – Free Practice 1
12:30 – Free Practice 2
15:30 – Qualifying
Sunday 3rd September
14:30 – Race 1 (14 laps)
16:05 – Race 2 (14 laps)
