Kumho FIA TCR World Tour preview | The season to be green-flagged in Misano
The Kumho FIA TCR World Tour gets underway this weekend at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, starting its fourth season and its third under the FIA aegis.
The Italian race meeting is the first of an eight-event calendar that will see the championship visiting Spain, France and Portugal between June and July, before moving to the Far East in South Korea, China (twice) and Macau from September to November. Two races will be run in Misano, although at four events during the season there will be three races held, for a total of twenty rounds that will award FIA titles to Drivers and Teams.
The event marks the first time ever the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli hosts a World Touring Car series, though its layout is regarded as one that best suits touring car racing; it has hosted rounds of the Moto GP from 1980 to 1993 and then again from 2007 onwards. Misano was inaugurated in 1972 and became a regular venue for the Italian Touring Car championship since the Super Touring years.
In 1993 the layout was extended from 3488m to 4060m, while new facilities and garages were built in 1997. Finally in 2007 the layout was further extended to 4226m and the direction changed from anti-clockwise to clockwise. More recently, Misano has always been part of the calendar of TCR Italy and has hosted last year a TCR Europe event.
TCR lap records
Qualifying: 1:39.385, av. speed 153.1 km/h - Nicolas Taylor, Audi RS 3 LMS (02/05/2025)
Race: 1:41.089, av. speed 150.5 km/h - Nicolas Taylor, Audi RS 3 LMS (12/10/2025 )
Marcello Lotti: On the road again!
'We are on the road again, for another season of the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour that carries on the partnership with Kumho and extends our collaboration with the FIA.
After the postponement to next year of the Mexican event, we couldn’t have been luckier in finding a replacement. Misano is a glamorous location and a racetrack that stages thrilling races, especially when touring cars are in action.
And we are proud for being the first promoter that brings a Touring Car world series there.
There are some new features this year, in both the sport and the participation.
The Sporting Regulations underwent a few adjustments with the aim of enhancing the show, such as the fastest lap in Race 1 that is worth one place up on the grid for Race 2, and the ETS Guest Star Trophy for race-by-race entries.
Looking at the entries, there are a few names that catch the eye, like Geely that takes over the successful heritage of Lynk & Co, while BRC Hyundai aims for reclaiming the title.
We are also happy to welcome back Jean-Karl Vernay who was one of the very first TCR champions and Teddy Clairet who won last year's TCR Europe race in Misano.
Amongst the newcomers, the arrival of TCR Europe reigning champion Jenson Brickley gives further proof that the concept of the TCR ladder works well.
Good luck to all of you!' - Marcello Lotti, WSC President
The 2025 Drivers' and Teams' champions Yann Ehrlacher and Cyan Racing begin to defend their titles in Misano with a brand weapon, the Geely Preface, as the Chinese manufacturer faces its racing debut in taking over from the Lynk & Co.
Capitalising on the successes of the Group's other brand, Geely has retained both the team - renamed Geely Cyan Racing - and the quartet of drivers with Thed Björk, Ma Qing Hua and Santiago Urrutia alongside Ehrlacher.
Their main contenter is the BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse with a pair of Elantra EV cars for the 2023 and 2024 champion Norbert Michelisz and Mikel Azcona who will be joined in Misano by the Italian youngster Gabriele Covini. Other Hyundai cars will be run by customer teams Trico WRT for Damiano Reduzzi and JSB Compétion for Julien Briché and Raphaël Fournier.
The CUPRA brand will be represented by the all-French squad SP Compétition that has signed Aurélien Comte who scored three race wins last year and Jean-Karl Vernay who returns to TCR competition in which he was one of the earliest champions having secured the 2017 TCR International Series title. A third CUPRA Leon VZ run by Monlau Motorsport will be driven by Viktor Andersson, current leader of the TCR Spain championship.
Last year's title contender Esteban Guerrieri is the spearhead of the Honda contingent, at the wheel of a Civic FL5 entered by GOAT Racing, while Estonia-based ALM Motorsport will run three cars for the reigning TCR Europe champion Jenson Brickley, Teddy Clairet the 2025 TCR Europe race winner in Misano and Ruben Volt who scored his maiden podium finish in the World Tour last year in Valencia. Argentine youngster Ramiro Zago, who made his TCR debut two weeks ago at Imola in TCR Italy, will drive a fifth Civic for MM Motorsport.
Teddy Clairet is one of the few drivers in the field who has previously raced at Misano in a TCR car; in fact in 2025 he was the winner of TCR Europe's Race 2 at the Italian circuit.
"I’m happy to return to Misano, which is a beautiful place! The temperatures can be really hot, and it’s not one of the easiest circuits for overtaking. There are some possibilities of course, but the starting positon will be the key. I’m really keen to be going back there after my win last year, let’s see what will come from it!"
The rules of the game (for this event)
The qualifying is split in two parts: Q1 for all drivers and Q2 for the fastest twelve in Q1.
The races have a standing start and a duration of 60km.
Up to the first two laps of the safety car are added to the race distance.
The grids are based on the qualifying results, with the top ten reversed on the grid for Race 2.
New from this year!
The driver who sets the fastest lap in Race 1 is promoted by one place on the grid for Race 2.
The Pole Position Trophy is awarded to the driver who sets the pole in qualifying.
The points scoring system
Qualifying - to the first six drivers: 15 / 10 / 8 / 6 / 4 / 2
Race - to the first 15 drivers: 30 / 25 / 22 / 20 / 18 / 16 / 14 / 12 / 10 / 8 / 6 / 4 / 3 / 2 / 1
New from this year!
A dedicated Balance of Performance for the World Tour.
New from this year!
The ETS Guest Star Trophy is awarded to best race-by-race entry in each race.
Text & Photo Credits: WSC