*Legendary track provides a huge test for world touring car racers
*Home hero René Rast brings expert track knowledge as wildcard entrant
*Wide open: six race wins shared by four customer racing brands

Planet Earth’s toughest race track will pose a challenge like no other when the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO heads to the Nürburgring Nordschleife next week for the third event of the all-action season.

Measuring 25.378 kilometres in length and with a succession of climbs, dips and 64 heart-stopping turns to tackle, the Nordschleife rollercoaster is worshiped and feared in equal measure.

Three three-lap races will decide who will be the King of the Ring and scoop the TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver (MVD) award for the racer landing the most points across the WTCR Race of Germany weekend, which also features a wildcard appearance by DTM champion René Rast and the launch of Esports WTCR OSCARO.

The Nürburgring Nordschleife in their own words
Leading WTCR OSCARO drivers have been talking about the Nürburgring Nordschleife’s huge challenge. This is what they’ve had to say in the build-up to the big race.

Tom Coronel (Boutsen Ginion Racing): “There’s nothing even close to the Nürburgring Nordschleife, it’s every track times 10, the most legendary there is. There’s a myth associated with the track and all the manufacturers want to have lap records there. I’ve held the road car record with the Dodge Viper, I’ve done a lot of 24 hours there but you never know the track because it’s never the same from one part to another but you have to trust it. As a race car driver it’s one of those things you need every year to satisfy yourself.”

Esteban Guerrieri (ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport): “From the challenge point of view you don’t get better than the Nürburgring Nordschleife. The first lap I did took so much energy and concentration that when I stopped after the first flying lap and the team asked me to go out again and go 10 seconds quicker, I wondered how I would do that because I was drained out. But then it got easier and things came a lot smoother. But it’s a very challenging circuit on the mind and I remember after the jumps I realised I wasn’t breathing for more than 10 seconds.”

Gordon Shedden (Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team): “I’ve been there now just to do a few laps so I’m very new to it. You get these blind corners you’re flying across and it feels kind of homely because we have some tracks like it in the UK, but not on the same scale of course. It’s probably the biggest challenge of the year for everybody. It’s one of these tracks you love or hate, there’s nothing in between. The place is just insane and it’s a big weekend for Audi.”

Frédéric Vervisch (Audi Sport Team Comtoyou): “It’s so amazing, you have so much fun and it’s definitely one of my favourite tracks when it’s dry. When it’s dry, sunny with no oil or whatever on the track you really enjoy it a lot. You never know it enough and you learn every time. It’s very challenging and the most difficult to remember. When I did it in the very beginning, the first part you always kind of know but the last part with all the blind corners takes time to learn.”

One track, three reigning touring car champions
Three significant touring car champions will race each other for the first time at WTCR Race of Germany. René Rast, DTM champion in 2017, will join the packed WTCR grid as a wildcard entrant, racing an Audi RS 3 LMS under the Audi Sport Team WRT banner. It will mean the current WTCC, TCR International and DTM champions will race against each other for the first time with Thed Björk and Jean-Karl Vernay also in action at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. “Competing against the world’s best drivers in a touring car now is fantastic, it’s a nice challenge,” said Rast, 31. “The field includes four world champions, plus many other title winners. These are big names and I’m looking forward to being pitted against them on home soil.” Other touring car champions racing at the ‘Ring include Fabrizio Giovanardi, Rob Huff, Yvan Muller, Gordon Shedden,Gabriele Tarquini and James Thompson. Meanwhile, German-speaking Swiss Kris Richard will complete the wildcard entrants at WTCR Race of Germany. Winner of the FIA European Touring Car Cup in 2016, Richard is a highly-rated youngster and will drive a Honda Civic Type R TCR for KCMG. “This opportunity is absolutely great for me,” said Richard.

Tarquini and BRC on top 
After two events and six races, Gabriele Tarquini heads the WTCR OSCARO standings on the back of a win double in Morocco and a single triumph in Hungary, where he beat Hyundai-powered BRC Racing Team-mate and home hero Norbert Michelisz to victory. Michelisz trails ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda driver Yann Ehrlacher andYvan Muller in the table followed by Sébastien Loeb Racing’s Rob Huff and Thed Björk, who partners Muller at YMR. Huff’s victory in Race 2 at the Hungaroring was the first for the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR in WTCR and means four customer racing brands (Jean-Karl Vernay won for Audi in Morocco, Ehrlacher triumphed for Honda in Hungary) have won in 2018. Meanwhile, in the battle for the prestigious Teams’ title, BRC Racing Team heads ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport and YMR.

New era takes shape
With a rulebook designed to promote corner-by-corner overtaking, a packed grid featuring four world champions and a host of national and international touring car title-winners, an abundance of young stars, three ex-Formula One drivers and seven customer racing brands, the stage is set for a thrilling spectacle at WTCR Race of Germany. In an intriguing twist, WTCR – the new name for the WTCC – gets three races per weekend, plus a second qualifying session. There’s also the ground-breaking TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver award, which goes to the racer scoring the most points during a weekend and live Race 1 coverage on Facebook and at OSCARO.com, website of the WTCR Series Presenting Partner partner and the world’s leading online retailer of original automotive spare parts.

TAG Heuer rewards WTCR speed and achievement
TAG Heuer is rewarding speed and achievement in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO. In addition to the popular TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy, the TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver will deliver a world first for circuit racing. The TAG Heuer Most Valuable Driver (MVD) brings an exciting concept pioneered in US sport to the all-new WTCR with the driver scoring the most points over a weekend receiving a prestigious TAG Heuer watch. WTCR drivers get four opportunities to score points over a weekend for finishing in the top five in Second Qualifying, plus in Race 1, Race 2 and Race 3. TAG Heuer’s support of the WTCR also includes the TAG Heuer Best Lap Trophy, which is presented to the driver setting the fastest lap between weekend’s three races. In addition, TAG Heuer is the Official Timing Partner of the WTCC and benefits from a number of promotional opportunities including trackside bannering and corporate guest programmes.

Esports WTCR OSCARO is go!
Simracers will get to race in the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO online with confirmation that Esports WTCR is go for 2018. WTCR promoter Eurosport Events, RaceRoom and Sector3 Studios are continuing their partnership that began in 2013 and led to the inaugural eSports WTCC online championship in 2017. With the WTCC becoming the WTCR in 2018 to mark the beginning of an exciting era for world touring car racing, the stakes are being raised for Esports WTCR OSCARO starting with a time attack event at the Nürburgring’s ring°arena on 10-11 May. Gamers and simracers are invited to push the virtual WTCR cars to the limit, beat the real WTCR drivers and qualify for the races on 12 May, which will be broadcast live online. A large number of drivers will have the opportunity to compete against racers with similar skills for a share of a €25,000 prize fund with more than 80 drivers in contention for prize money. Spectators can watch the action for free. The time attack event takes place on Thursday 10 May from 11h00-22h00 and on Friday 11 May from 10h00-16h00. Racing will be held from 17h00 to 24h00 on Saturday 12 May.

DHL Pole Position Award up for grabs
The driver qualifying first in First Qualifying and Second Qualifying will receive the DHL Pole Position Award from the Official Logistics Partner of WTCR. So far in 2018, Thed Björk and Gabriele Tarquini have won the award once with Norbert Michelisz a double winner.

ESSENTIALS
All you need to know: Click here for the event guide, timetable and other essential information
Who’s in it to win it? Click here to find out more about the WTCR drivers
WTCR explained? Click here to find out more
Standings: Click here to find out who is in front after the opening three races
René Rast’s WTCR car images: Click here to download high-resolution, rights-free images
For everything else… Go to the online WTCR Media Centre by clicking here

THE CHALLENGE AHEAD
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. It delivered plenty of drama and several standout performances by José María López, a double winner in 2016 when drivers from the European Touring Car Cup joined their WTCC counterparts on track, albeit from a split grid.

WHO’S ON THE GRID?
World Touring Car champions: Thed Björk, Rob Huff, Yvan Muller, Gabriele Tarquini
WTCC Trophy winners: Mehdi Bennani, Tom Coronel, Norbert Michelisz
WTCC race winners: Yann Ehrlacher, Esteban Guerrieri, Gianni Morbidelli, Pepe Oriola 
British Touring Car champions: Fabrizio Giovanardi, Gordon Shedden, James Thompson
TCR title winners: Aurélien Comte, Benjamin Lessennes, Jean-Karl Vernay
Young racing hopefuls: Denis Dupont, John Filippi, Mato Homola, Norbert Nagy, Aurélien Panis, Zsolt Szabó
International racers: Nathanaël Berthon, Frédéric Vervisch
Wildcards: René Rast, Kris Richard

FIVE TO WATCH
1 René Rast: The DTM champion will make his WTCR debut on home soil as a wildcard. He knows the track and has started to master his Audi RS 3 LMS following a test at Spa-Francorchamps recently. But how will he compare against the WTCR regulars?
2 Yann Ehrlacher: Yvan Muller’s nephew moved into the title frame with his maiden WTCR victory in the opening race at the Hungaroring. Driving for home team ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, the Frenchman will be a contender for top sport at WTCR Race of Germany.
3 Team-mate tussles: The battle for team supremacy was evident at the Hungaroring last month with Team OSCARO by Campos Racing pair John Filippi and Pepe Oriola, plus Team Mulsanne duo Fabrizio Giovanardi and Gianni Morbidelli among those scrapping for position.
4 Kris Richard: He’s won at the Nordschleife in the FIA European Touring Car Cup and impressed on two outings in the WTCC in 2017. Now the German-speaking Swiss has vowed to turn a one-off wildcard appearance into a full-time WTCR drive in 2019.
5 Busy drivers: Tom Coronel, René Rast and Frédéric Vervisch will be keeping busy at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with the trio also contesting the twice-around-the-clock ADAC Zurich 24h-Rennen alongside their WTCR commitments.

WEEKEND FORMAT EXPLAINED
In a major change to the previous WTCC race weekend format, each WTCR event will consist of three races – an increase from the previous two plus an additional qualifying session. The points allocation has been changed as follows:

WTCR RACE OF GERMANY IN NUMBERS
7: Drivers racing at the Nürburgring have won seven World Touring Car titles between them
2: Thed Björk and Yvan Muller, now team-mates at the Hyundai-powered YMR team, are touring car winners at the Nürburgring Nordschleife having triumphed when the WTCC visited in the past
9m05.905s: Driving a Hyundai i30 N TCR, Andreas Gülden set a new standard for TCR cars at the Nordschleife when he took 9m05.905s to complete a lap of the track during the ADAC Zurich 24h-Rennen qualification race on 15 April. He’d earlier set a new qualifying best, a 9m03.206s.
13: Thirteen different nationalities will be represented at WTCR Race of Germany
24: All-season drivers will be permitted to use 24 Yokohama tyres at WTCR Race of Germany with the Japanese firm introducing a specific compound for the demanding track

FAST FACTS
1: The original Nordschleife opened in 1927 and was combined with the Südschleife at a length of 28.265 kilometres to hold the Eifelrennen events for bikes and cars.
2: Following on from the grands prix of the late 1920s, the 1931 German GP was held solely on the Nordschleife over a lap distance of 22.8 kilometres. Achille Varzi won in a Bugatti T51.
3: The adjacent Nürburgring Grand Prix track was opened in 1984 and also combines with the Nordschleife to hold the annual ADAC Zurich 24h Rennen, or the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
4: Germany shares borders with nine other countries – Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
5: Germany is Europe’s second largest beer consumer – Germans drank 2.55 billion gallons of beer in 2012 – while there are more than 1200 breweries producing over 5000 brands of beer.

WHERE TO WATCH THE WTCR
In a significant move First Qualifying and Race 1 will be live on Facebook in most countries, plus on OSCARO.com in Belgium, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and USA. Eurosport, including in Germany, will broadcast live coverage of Second Qualifying, Race 2 and Race 3, plus highlights of First Qualifying and Race 1. All qualifying sessions and races will be live on Eurosport Player. Live coverage will also be broadcast on Fox Sports (Latin America), J SPORTS (Japan), M4 Sport (Hungary), OSN (Middle East and North Africa) and 2M in Morocco. From WTCR Race of Hungary onwards, QIE Live – one of China’s largest live sports streaming platforms with one million active daily users – will stream all remaining WTCR OSCARO events as they happen with the coverage including bespoke content designed to appeal to fans who have yet to experience the exciting on-track action from the WTCR.