The newly-announced FIA World Touring Car Cup has unveiled its 2018 season calendar which, as expected, retains a number of events from the World Touring Car Championship.
Marrakech’s Circuit Moulay El Hassan will once again open the season, which will feature a new format of three races per weekend running TCR-specification cars.
The field will then head to Hungary in late April – an event used by both the WTCC and TCR International Series in 2017 – before playing a supporting role at the Nürburgring 24 Hours at the iconic Nordschleife circuit on May 13 (pictured).
Zandvoort will play host to the fourth round of the championship – ending a 10-year absence on the calendar – where the FIA WTCR field will race in conjunction with rounds for the feeder TCR Europe and TCR Benelux series’.
A five-week break follows before the final European round of the championship, which will see the field head to Portugal’s daunting Vila Real street circuit.
Argentina’s Termas de Río Hondo circuit plays host to the series’ sole visit to the Americas, followed by a break of almost two months before a visit to the Ningbo International Speedpark in China’s Zhejiang province.
Japan is the next stop, but instead the series makes its return to Suzuka and its debut on the full Grand Prix layout in support of the Super Formula championship finale. The final confirmed round is the Guia Race of Macau.
Another event will be added to the calendar, taking place on either July 21-22 or October 6-7. The former would be a South American round, while the latter is all but certainly in South Korea given Hyundai’s presence in the TCR International Series.
“Publication of the provisional schedule marks another important step ahead of the inaugural FIA WTCR season in 2018,” said WTCR promoter Francois Ribeiro.
“The nine selected events will not only offer a great variety of circuits to drivers and teams, but will also mean that WTCR races take place in front of big crowds. We are in discussions with two potential locations, which Eurosport Events has not worked with before, to select one additional event for the FIA WTCR schedule, and we hope to conclude these as soon as possible.”
2018 FIA World Touring Car Cup Calendar | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date | Event | Location | |
08 April 2018 | ![]() |
Race of Morocco | Circuit Moulay El Hassan, Marrakech |
29 April 2018 | ![]() |
Race of Hungary | Hungaroring, Mogyoród |
13 May 2018 | ![]() |
ADAC Zurich Race of Germany | Nürburgring Nordschleife, Nürburg |
21 May 2018 | ![]() |
Race of the Netherlands | Circuit Park Zandvoort, Zandvoort |
24 Jun 2018 | ![]() |
Race of Portugal | Circuito Internacional de Vila Real, Vila Real |
22 Jul 2018 | TBA – Option 1 | TBA | |
05 Aug 2018 | ![]() |
Race of Argentina | Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo, Río Hondo |
30 Sep 2018 | ![]() |
Race of China | Ningbo International Circuit, Ningbo |
07 Oct 2018 | TBA – Option 2 | TBA | |
21 Oct 2018 | ![]() |
Race of Japan | Suzuka Circuit, Mie Prefecture |
18 Nov 2018 | ![]() |
Guia Race of Macau | Guia Circuit, Macau |
Image via FIA WTCC Media
Richard Bailey
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