– Two touring car championships to race at Hungaroring
– Seasons underway and title battles heating up
– Longest track ever visited by PURE ETCR
Two of the world’s most exciting touring car racing championships will meet again this weekend for a second joint event with, as always, every car racing on Goodyear tyres. With both series’ seasons very much underway, the two championships’ next challenge is the Hungaroring outside Budapest.
The home of the Hungarian Grand Prix will host the fourth round of PURE ETCR, the world’s first multi-brand all-electric touring car series, as well as the next round of the premier class of petrol-powered touring car racing, WTCR. Goodyear is the official and exclusive tyre supplier of both series.
At 4.4 km, the Hungaroring is the longest track visited by PURE ETCR so far. Last time the two championships raced at the same event, in Aragón, the electric series ran on a shorter version of the Spanish track. This time, both series will use the full layout.
Sebastian Trinks is Goodyear’s Event Leader for PURE ETCR and WTCR. He explains the challenges facing drivers in both championships this weekend. « As the longest track in PURE ETCR’s short history, there is a lot for drivers to learn. Many haven’t been to the Hungaroring before, and its combination of low, medium and high speed corners creates an interesting challenge. The surface is consistent throughout the lap and quite smooth, which makes it easier on tyres than other tracks. Keeping within track limits will be key, because the track has generous run-off areas unlike the Copenhagen street circuit we visited earlier this month.
« As it’s the first time PURE ETCR and WTCR are racing on the same circuit, it will be fascinating to compare the lap times and performance side-by-side. While the two types of car look similar, they are mechanically very different and, as a result, they treat the tyres differently. In PURE ETCR, the weight over the rear axle means the rear-left tyre is the most important on this track, whereas it’s the front-left tyre that needs to deliver for WTCR drivers. »
After rounds at Vallelunga, Aragón and Copenhagen, CUPRA driver Mattias Esktröm leads the PURE ETCR drivers’ standings, while his Cupra x Zengo Motorsport team is out front in the manufacturers’ classification. Hyundai driver Jean-Karl Vernay heads the WTCR drivers’ standings with Cyan Racing Lynk & Co the top-performing team.
Trinks adds: « Both championships are enjoying successful 2021 seasons, and we enjoy working with promoter Eurosport Events to help the growth and development of each. Since Goodyear became the official tyre partner of WTCR in 2020, the quality of racing has become even better. Teams are more comfortable with the tyres this year and we know how to work with them to help extract the most performance possible. The development process of PURE ETCR is still ongoing but the reception has been very positive so far and Goodyear are excited to support their efforts to make motorsport more sustainable. »