The link between Tom Coronel and Honda goes back over two decades: in 1998 and 1999, the Dutch driver raced for Honda in the Japanese GT championship. More recently, Coronel participated with Honda in the TCR Benelux and last year in the global competition that was the FIA WTCR.
« Now, we will be taking on the next challenge with Honda: participation in TCR Europe, again with a Civic Type R TCR run by Boutsen Ginion Racing, the team I have been working with for some years already, » Coronel says. « The look and feel of the car is the same as last year: all my loyal sponsors are also supporting me for my TCR Europe campaign, just like Honda Motor Europe Limited. » The 46-year-old Dutchman’s team-mate will be Belgian driver Stéphane Lémeret, who also teamed up with Coronel back in 2017.
« It is fantastic that we are able to continue the good co-operation with Honda and the Boutsen Ginion Racing team from the past years at a European level, » Coronel says. « As a driver, there is nothing I want more than race as often as possible at the highest possible level. With the Honda, that is certainly the case. Moreover, this championship enables us to race at cool circuits like Spa-Francorchamps, Monza, Hockenheim and Barcelona. The Hungaroring round at the end of April is the only one I have to miss, because regulations say that you can’t race in two different TCR competitions at the same circuit during one weekend. For the rest, I am able to take part in all three races during each TCR Europe meeting. »
This year, TCR Europe again has a strong field with drivers like Luca Engstler, who won last year’s TCR Middle East Series, Josh Files, who won back-to-back titles in the ADAC TCR Germany in 2016 and 2017, Mat’o Homola, a two-time runner-up in the European Touring Car Cup, but also the likes of ex-Formula 1 driver Gianni Morbidelli and John Filippi, two of Coronel’s opponents in FIA WTCR last year.
Olivier Lainé, team-manager Boutsen Ginion Racing, says: « The TCR Europe is a magnificent challenge, geographically closer to our partners, which will give us more visibility. We are delighted to continue our co-operation Honda and Tom Coronel in this championship, which will be more competitive than ever. I am looking forward to the first races! »
Tom Coronel admits to being busier than hardly ever before this year: « Next to my participation in TCR Europe, my other plans in motor racing are WTCR, the German VLN championship and the 24-hour races at the Nürburgring and Spa-Francorchamps. That is giving me enough to do for this season. I am really looking forward to it, because as a driver, you only want one thing: to race as much as possible. With this programme, I certainly can do so! »
Race schedule 2019 TCR Europe
27 – 28 April Hungaroring
24 – 26 May Hockenheim
08 – 09 June Spa-Francorchamps
13 – 14 July Red Bull Ring
03 – 04 August Oschersleben
21 – 22 September Barcelona
12 – 13 October Monza
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