Comtoyou drivers frustrated after clarification of TCR spring regulations

The technical department of WSC, the TCR rights holders, has issued a bulletin clarifying a previous grey area regarding springs in the regulations for TCR cars ahead of the FIA World Touring Car Cup weekend at Motorland Aragon.

The change has seen Audi team Comtoyou Racing drivers voicing concern over wasted development time.

“We had the car developed around a specific damper setting,” Comtoyou Racing driver Nathanaël Berthon told TouringCarTimes. “But now everything is changed, so we have to develop again.”

Other teams meanwhile have stated that the clarification does not have a major impact to the performance of their cars.

“This is not a change in the regulations, but rather just a clarification,” former WTCR champion and Hyundai advisor Gabriele Tarquini told TouringCarTimes. “We were running within the regulations, perhaps on the limit, but it hasn’t had an impact for us.”

“Definitely, it’s not an issue for us,” Honda Münnich Motorsport driver Néstor Girolami added. “We believe it’s more of a problem for other manufacturers, but not for the Honda.

“The car has behaved fine and it’s not a problem for us,” a Zengo Motorsport (Cupra) spokesman stated. “We know that others were sandbagging in FP1, but our car is going well and we are happy so far.”

The bulletin is regarding “TCR TR – Art 10.7 – Springs” and reads:

1st Paragraph: Cylindrical, linear steel springs are free; the combination of one helper with one suspension spring is allowed.

CLARIFICATIONS:
The helper springs, if in use, are always assembled in series with the suspension springs.
The helper spring must be separated from the suspension spring only through a specific spring-seat for fixing and diameter adaptation.

3rd Paragraph: Rubber bump stops and packers are free.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Only polymeric rebound and bump stops are allowed, rebound springs are forbidden.
Packers are non-elastic elements used to change the contact point of the rebound and bump stops.