WTCR drivers unveil logos for 2020
The four drivers who will take our i30 N TCR onto this season’s WTCR grid have revealed their race numbers and specially designed logos they will use for the year ahead.
2019 series winner Norbert Michelisz, remaining with our customer BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse, will shed his #5 after taking the title in a thrilling finale at Race of Malaysia. He will take up the honour of racing with #1 from teammate Gabriele Tarquini.
New numbers to bring luck
“I really had to think about which number I wanted to use this year,” said Norbert.
“I’ve had the #5 almost my whole career in WTCC, and then since I joined BRC Racing Team, so it was tough to change. I wanted to have the number as part of my logo, so the #1 is part of the M of my initials and has the red, white and green of the Hungarian flag for my home country.”
Gabriele returns to a number with which he has already tasted plenty of success at the wheel of our i30 N TCR – #30. It was the number he used in 2018 as he won the WTCR title but was also on the car he drove to victory at the Chinese round of the 2017 TCR International Series in the very first race for the then brand new car.
“I have the same wild pig design as last year for my nickname in Italian ‘cinghio’ but with a different number,” he said. “Obviously I will miss having the #1 on my car for WTCR this year and I want to have it back, so I have chosen the same number I had when I won in 2018.”
Poignant personal choices
Our second customer, Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Team, may be new to WTCR but both their drivers and race numbers will be familiar.
Nicky Catsburg retains #88, which he had on his car for his debut WTCR season last year.
He explained, “I chose #88 because it is a nice reminder of home when I am away at the race track. I got married on the eighth of August and so it gives me a nice connection back to my family while I am competing.”
His new teammate, Luca Engstler, will use his traditional #8 for his first full season of racing in the series, with which he had previously displayed on his i30 N TCR in series around the world.
“Since I started to do any sport, my number has always been #8,” said Luca. “I originally chose it because my birthday is March 8, but I never changed it, except for the times where I am the champion! I would like to keep the #8 for the rest of my racing career, so it’s quite good that the number – on its side – represents infinity.”
