Photo: TCR World Tour

All eyes on Azcona and Urrutia in penultimate TCR World Tour round

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The FIA TCR World Tour continues its Chinese double-header as the Zhejiang Shaoxing Circuit hosts the penultimate round this weekend, with all eyes on title rivals Mikel Azcona and Santiago Urrutia.

BRC Hyundai and Geely Cyan Racing made it clear during the previous round that all their focus is on the Spaniard and Uruguayan respectively, with team-mates dropping positions to provide them with the best possible conditions for the final couple of race weekends.

Azcona heads to Zheijiang in the drivers’ championship lead and carries 20kg of compensation weight compared to Urrutia’s 40kg.

But the Hyundai Elantra N EV TCR of Azcona received a power reduction just ahead of the weekend in the latest technical bulletin, going a power level of 100% to 97,5%.

The Geely Preface TCR of Urrutia will continue on its 95% power level and the Uruguayan driver is the one under pressure to deliver this weekend.

The previous race weekend saw Urrutia gaining 26 points on his rival, but that was with a 40kg difference of compensation weight in favour of the Geely driver which still saw Azcona claiming pole.

Azcona will carry less weight this weekend, albeit with a smaller difference of 20kg between the two. That in combination with the reduced power of the Hyundai should make the playing field even closer between the two this weekend.

Expected to mix up the top fight this weekend is once again the two Cupras of SP Competition with Jean-Karl Vernay and Aurélien Comte.

The team claimed a maiden 1-2 in the reversed-grid second last weekend and are looking for another win at Zhejiang. But Vernay will carry 30kg this weekend compared to last weekend’s 0kg, Comte will continue at 10kg.

The field will just like last weekend feature 18 cars, with a couple of changes for the TCR Asia and local entries.

There will be two Audis on the grid, one second generation RS 3 LMS for Fu Bin of Jiren Motorsport while Liu Jia Jun of PGsica Blue Racing will race a first generation RS 3 LMS.

Diego Moran heads the TCR Asia standings after winning all but one of their races, leading rival Honda driver Euan Chan Ho Ting by 134 points.

The race weekend starts with free practice on Friday, qualifying and the first race on Saturday and two further races on Sunday.

Zhejiang schedule

Times in CST (CEST +6H)

Friday 23/10
10:55 – Free Practice 1
14:25 – Free Practice 2

Saturday 24/10
10:10 – Qualifying
15:00 – Race 1

Sunday 25/10
09:30 – Race 2
13:40 – Race 3

FIA TCR World Tour entry list Zhejiang

19 – William Cheung Wang Chi – Team TRC – Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
20 – Li Jia Jun – PGsica – Blue Racing – Audi RS 3 LMS
21 – Bayern Yip Way Hei – Evolve Racing – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
23 – Diego Moran – ATE Racing by D23 – Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
26 – Tony Chan – Norris Racing – Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR
28 – Lo Sze Ho – Evolve Racing – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
29 – Euan Chan Ho Ting – Team TRC – Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
30 – Raymond Liu Wen Hin – MacPro Racing Team – Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR
45 – Fu Bin – Jiren Motorsport – Audi RS 3 LMS
69 – Zhang Bo Fei – Z.Speed – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
105 – Norbert Michelisz – BRC Racing – Hyundai Elantra N TCR
107 – Aurelien Comte – SP Competition – Cupra Leon VZ TCR
111 – Thed Björk – Geely Cyan Racing – Geely Preface TCR
155 – Ma Qing Hua – Geely Cyan Racing – Geely Preface TCR
168 – Yann Ehrlacher – Geely Cyan Racing – Geely Preface TCR
169 – Jean-Karl Vernay – SP Competition – Cupra Leon VZ TCR
181 – Santiago Urrutia – Geely Cyan Racing – Geely Preface TCR
196 – Mikel Azcona – BRC Racing – Hyundai Elantra N TCR