A 25.378-kilometre high-speed rollercoaster, the Nürburgring Nordschleife is the ultimate test of driving talent and has formed part of the WTCR roster since the series began in 2018.

Representing five customer racing brands, 11 top teams and 12 nationalities, the line-up features six FIA world title winners − including current King of WTCR Yann Ehrlacher − plus nine drivers 25 or under. A total of 63 race wins are shared between the talent-packed entry.

Some of the best drivers in the business, including category experts and young talents aiming for the top, compete in turbocharged TCR cars from Audi, CUPRA, Honda, Hyundai and Lynk & Co. A Balance of Performance formula, sustainable biofuel from P1 Racing Fuels and tyres from Goodyear provide a level playing field, with power capped at 360bhp and speeds reaching 260kph.

Significant cost-control measures help maintain strong grid numbers and allow privateer teams with limited technical support from manufacturers to fight at the front.

The 2021 season is set to comprise five weekends in Europe ahead of a three-event Asia leg. Practice, qualifying and two races are timetabled at each event, which enjoy extensive live global broadcasting.

As well as the FIA Drivers’ and Teams’ titles, the FIA Junior Driver Title is for the best racer 24 or under at the start of 2021 with no WTCC/WTCR experience prior to 2019.

ESSENTIALS

Rounds: 1 and 2 of 16

Date: June 3-5, 2021

Venue: Nürburgring Nordschleife

Location: Otto-Flimm-Straße, 53520 Nürburg, Germany
Track length: 25.378 kilometres

WTCR qualifying lap record: 

Néstor Girolami (Honda Civic Type R TCR), 8m51.802s (171.7kph), 24/09/20
WTCR race lap record: 

Frédéric Vervisch (Audi RS 3 LMS), 8m59.076s (169.4kph), 12/05/18

TIMETABLE

Thursday June 3

Free Practice 1: 14h30

Free Practice 2: 19h00

Friday June 4

Qualifying: 14h05-14h45

Saturday June 5

Race 1: 09h00 (3 laps, 76.134 kilometres)

Race 2: 10h20 (3 laps, 76.134 kilometres)

TRACK DESCRIPTION

Germany’s WTCR host venue offers a challenge like no other with its daunting 25.378-kilometre lap, 64 heart-stopping corners and changeable Eifel mountains weather. Opening for business in 1927 and a German Grand Prix regular until Niki Lauda’s near-fatal accident in 1976, the Nürburgring Nordschleife joined the FIA World Touring Car Championship schedule from 2015-2017 as part of the ADAC Zurich 24h-Rennen weekend. The WTCR took over in 2018 and delivered even more action with Yvan Muller, Esteban Guerrieri and Thed Björk sharing the wins. Guerrieri was a winner again in 2019 and 2020 when Yann Ehrlacher also took a victory.

ENTRY LIST

No Driver (NAT) Team Car*

3 Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai Elantra N TCR

5 Norbert Michelisz (HUN) BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse Hyundai Elantra N TCR

8 Luca Engstler (DEU) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR

9 Attila Tassi (HUN) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR

11 Thed Björk (SWE) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR

12 Santiago Urrutia (URY) Cyan Performance Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR

16 Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS

17 Nathanaël Berthon (FRA) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS

18 Tiago Monteiro (PRT) ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR

19 Andreas Bäckman (SWE) Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N TCR

22 Frédéric Vervisch (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS

26 Jessica Bäckman (SWE) Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N TCR

28 Jordi Gené (ESP) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy CUPRA Leon Competición

29 Néstor Girolami (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR

32 Tom Coronel (NLD) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS

55 Bence Boldizs (HUN) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy CUPRA Leon Competición

68 Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co Lynk & Co 03 TCR

69 Jean-Karl Vernay (FRA) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N TCR

79 Rob Huff (GBR) Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición

86 Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR

96 Mikel Azcona (ESP) Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición

100 Yvan Muller (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co Lynk & C0 03 TCR

*All cars equipped with Goodyear tyres, use sustainable biofuel from P1 Racing Fuels

WTCE RACE OF GERMANY PREVIOUS WINNERS

2020:

Race 1: Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) Honda Civic Type R TCR 

Race 2: Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Lynk & Co 03 TCR

2019:
Race 1: Norbert Michelisz (HUN) Hyundai i30 N TCR 

Race 2: Johan Kristoffersson (SWE) Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR

Race 3: Benjamin Leuchter (DEU) Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR

2018:
Race 1: Yvan Muller (FRA) Hyundai i30 N TCR
Race 2: Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) Honda Civic Type R TCR
Race 3: Thed Björk (SWE) Hyundai i30 N TCR

KINGS OF WTCR

2020: Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing / Lynk & Co 03 TCR

2019: Norbert Michelisz (HUN) BRC Racing Team / Hyundai i30 N TCR

2018: Gabriele Tarquini (ITA) BRC Racing Team / Hyundai i30 N TCR

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2021?

*There will be double-headers only in 2021 with two rather than three races at each event

*New cars from Audi (second-generation Audi RS 3 LMS) and Hyundai (Elantra N TCR) join the grid

*P1 Racing Fuels is WTCR’s Official Fuel Supplier with drivers powered by a bespoke fuel featuring 15 per cent renewable components for the first time

*Jessica Bäckman is the WTCR’s first female driver and joins brother Andreas to form the WTCR’s first all-sibling team run by new all-season entrant Target Competition

*Like the Bäckmans, Jordi Gené is a WTCR newcomer, while Rob Huff and Frédéric Vervisch return after missing out in 2020

*Adria, Estoril and Inje are new to the WTCR calendar with Italy and South Korea set to stage WTCR races for the first time

*Germany hosts the season-opening event following on from Morocco (2018-2019) and Belgium (2020)

*The Rookie driver award is redefined and renamed as the FIA Junior Driver Title  

*WTCR promoter Eurosport Events has been issued with the FIA’s Three Star Environmental Accreditation following a rigorous auditing process in line with the motorsport world governing body’s Environmental Certification Framework. Click HERE for more information.

DID YOU KNOW?

*The coveted #1 will not be carried in 2021 with King of WTCR Yann Ehrlacher electing to stick with #68, the number he used to win last year’s title and the number of Haut-Rhin, the French department where he’s from

*The Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition as the Official Safety Car of the WTCR for a second season. Bruno Correia is the Official Safety Car Driver at WTCR Race of Germany.

WHO SAID THAT?

Tom Coronel (NLD) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport / Audi RS 3 LMS: “There is no more challenging circuit on planet earth and to start the season there makes it extra exciting. Normally we start on a normal track, but now we are beginning the season on my favourite track and that helps a lot.”

Yann Ehrlacher (FRA) Cyan Racing Lynk & Co / Lynk & C0 03 TCR: “It’s a track I kind of like but you can’t say you completely like this track unless you lie or are not going fast enough. But I like the fact it’s a narrow track with fast corners where if you are brave you can go quick.”

Luca Engstler (DEU) Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team / Hyundai Elantra N TCR: “It’s a home race for me but I’m probably the driver with the least experience of this track and it’s easy to smash it in the wall on your first flying lap quite easily. It will be an intense week.”

Jordi Gené (ESP) Zengő Motorsport Drivers’ Academy / CUPRA Leon Competición: “I would have preferred if this was the third or fourth race because it’s very demanding. But, at the same time, when everything works well the reward of a good lap on the Nordschleife is unique, it’s fantastic.”

Esteban Guerrieri (ARG) ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport / Honda Civic Type R TCR: “When you get confident with this track it can get you. It’s not about what I’ve achieved here but about being very focused and knowing that the challenge is ahead of me and all of us. Then you’ve got to go and do it because it’s a matter of doing it and to see what comes.”

HOW IT WORKS AT WTCR RACE OF GERMANY

Qualifying: While one three-phase qualifying session is the norm, the long track length (25.378 kilometres) at WTCR Race of Germany requires a single uninterrupted session of 40 minutes 

Grids: The Race 1 grid is decided by the final qualifying classification with positions 1-10 lining up in reverse order. The Race 2 grid is decided by the final qualifying order with the fastest driver in qualifying on pole position

Points: 

*The fastest five drivers in Qualifying score points as follows: 10-8-6-4-2

*The top 15 classified finishers score in each race as follows: 25-20-16-13-11-10-9- 8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1
*The same scoring system apples to the WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup for Teams and the FIA WTCR Junior Driver Title. WTCR Trophy drivers score as follows: 10-8-5-3-1, 1 point for the fastest qualifying lap, 1 point for the fastest lap in each race