» WTCR: 2018 calendar confirmed

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