Spengler, Ekstrom, Martin, etc. : Beautiful people in the Electric Touring Car series!

Thirteen top drivers have entered this season’s first-ever edition of the FIA ​​ETCR eTouring Car World Cup. This series of fully electric-powered touring cars, which initially bore the name Pure ETCR before becoming an FIA World Cup, will see three manufacturers involved: Seat, a Volkswagen group brand with the Cupra EKS model, Hyundai Motorsport with models N based on the Elantra, and Alfa Romeo with Giliua registered by the Romeo Ferraris structure within which we will find the Quebecer Bruno Spengler, as announced last week.

Winner of the 2021 title when the series was called Pure ETCR, Cupra Racing has formed a partnership with Mattias Ekström’s EKS team. The Swede, former DTM champion and seen in recent years in Rallycross, intends to retain the title, while the team now bears the name of Cupra EKS.

A long-time competitor in touring car competition and former winner of the LMP2 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Spaniard Jordi Gené is making his return to competition and is joined by series rookies Tom Blomqvist (winner of the 24 Hours of Daytona this year with Acura and Meyer-Shank Racing in IMSA) and Adrien Tambay. The son of former F1 and Can-Am driver Patrick Tambay has been racing mainly in DTM, Endurance and ice racing in recent years.

At Hyundai Motorsport, there will be five drivers, including experienced Touring Car driver Jean-Karl Vernay. Spaniard Mikel Azcona and 2019 FIA World Touring Car Championship winner Norbert Michelisz will also be present with Hyundai. Nicky Catsburg, will share the 5th car with Kevin Ceccon.

Finally, on the side of the Romeo Ferraris team, the Italian Luca Filippi, the Belgian Maxime Martin, the Quebecer Bruno Spengler and the Italian Giovanni Venturini will be on the track.

Remember that the Belgian Maxime Martin has victories in Endurance and DTM. He is still driving this season in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar with the Ontarian Roman de Angelis on an Aston Martin Vantage GTD from the Heart of Racing team. As for Spengler, he has spent most of his career in the DTM (2012 champion with BMW) but also has experience in single-seaters and Endurance racing, in GT and prototypes.

The FIA ​​ETCR Championship is the world’s first all-electric touring car series, and this season puts a world title on the line. Manufacturers compete using the 500 kW (670 horsepower) touring cars at various circuits in Europe and in Asia.

The 2022 championship kicks off in the streets of Pau (south-west France) this weekend with practice on Friday; qualifying and quarter-finals on Saturday; then semi-finals and finals on Sunday.

2022 FIA ETCR REGISTERS

1. Mattias Ekstrom | CUPRA EKS | CUPRA eRacer
5. Norbert Michelisz | Hyundai Motorsport N | Hyundai Veloster N ETCR
7. Bruno Spengler | Romeo Ferraris | Giulia ETCR
10. Tom Blomqvist | CUPRA EKS | CUPRA eRacer
21. Giovanni Venturini | Romeo Ferraris | Giulia ETCR
25.Luca Filippi | Romeo Ferraris | Giulia ETCR
27. Adrian Tambay | CUPRA EKS | CUPRA eRacer
28. Jordi Gene | CUPRA EKS | CUPRA eRacer
31. Kevin Ceccon | Hyundai Motorsport N | Hyundai Veloster N ETCR
36. Maxime Martin | Romeo Ferraris | Giulia ETCR
69. Jean-Karl Vernay | Hyundai Motorsport N | Hyundai Veloster N ETCR
88. Nicky Catsburg | Hyundai Motorsport N | Hyundai Veloster N ETCR
96. Mikel Azcona | Hyundai Motorsport N | Hyundai Veloster N ETCR