» WTCC: Filippi gets a promotion

John Filippi will graduate to the World Touring Car Championship’s TC1 class machinery after being confirmed for a second season with the Campos Racing squad.

The Corsican-born teenager made his WTCC debut in the now-defunct TC2T class of the championship, driving a venerable SEAT León WTCC in a rather thin field comprising the older-spec Super 2000 specification machinery. As one of just two full-time drivers in that category, he was rarely a match for the BMW 320TC of the erstwhile veteran Franz Engstler, but claimed one class victory at Suzuka.

With the Tc2T class cars no longer allowed to mix with the newer TC1 machinery, it has been confirmed that Filippi will join his compatriot Hugo Valente in the Spanish team’s line-up for the 2015 season. The team – which fielded two TC1 cars last year for Valente and Serbian racer Dušan Borkovic – is set to expand to three Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 cars this year.

Filippi raced one of Campos’ older-spec SEATs last year.

Filippi had a test outing in the car Borkovic – who has himself joined Proteam Racing – raced last year, and will suit up again when the field heads to Barcelona for the open pre-season test ahead of next month’s season-opener at Argentina’s Termas di Río Hondo circuit.

“I intend to build on my experience last year, although many circuits that I learned in 2014 will no longer be on the 2015 calendar, but the new tracks will be new to almost everyone,” Filippi said of his latest opportunity.

“If I look at what Valente achieved last year, with 12th place in the championship despite several races where he was unfortunate, a top 12 late in the season would be a satisfactory result. I am pleased to continue the adventure with the Campos team, which has a lot of expertise in the field. In addition, I still working with my engineer who had accompanied me last year in TC2, and with whom I get along well. I’m looking forward to the start of the first race.”

Images via XPB Images