om Coronel wants to go from hunter to hunted when the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup fires into life in Morocco from 7-8 April.

Having been quick to admit that he’s made up the numbers in recent seasons, the ever-charismatic and popular Dutchman believes he now has all the ingredients he needs to fight for glory in 2018.

Coronel, who from 2014 raced a ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 in the FIA World Touring Car Championship – which the WTCR replaces from 2018 – will drive a Honda Civic TCR at Boutsen Ginion Racing. He will team up with friend and fellow title contender Tiago Monteiro, who was confirmed at the Belgian outfit last month.

The 45-year-old has retained the support of loyal partners DHL, Eurol Lubricants, Tricorp Workwear, ERU Prestige Kaas voor Kerels, TW Steel, Intrax Suspension, 4.Brands, ASC Group, NoFear Energydrink, P1 racewear, Super-B, CM, Copernica and RSII. And he has confirmed his familiar all-yellow colour scheme will be carried over from the Chevrolet he campaigned in the WTCC to the Honda he will use during the planned 30-race WTCR season.

“World touring cars are my life, it’s my style of racing, it’s explosive and I’m no longer letting other drivers have the fame, it’s possible for me also to have more opportunities to win,” said Coronel. “I know the car and the very good team I have chosen from TCR Benelux, I know the tyres, I know the drivers, I know the tracks and I know the tricks. This will be the most competitive year for touring car racing for 10 years and I really like the close racing. I would rather come second with a big fight than win a race leading by 10 seconds.”

François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCR promoter, said: “It’s great that Tom will continue to race in the FIA’s premier touring car series. He’s very popular, a great ambassador and never stops promoting himself, his partners and, of course, what he’s racing in. He’s not always had the car to be able to fight consistently at the front but whenever he’s had the opportunity in the past he’s made the most of it. Driving a Honda Civic at Boutsen Ginion Racing alongside Tiago Monteiro is certainly a big opportunity and he becomes another frontrunner on the WTCR grid.”

Comtoyou Racing has signed its second FIA World Touring Car Cup contender in as many days with the addition of Aurélien Panis to its WTCR line-up for 2018.

Frenchman Panis, the 23-year-old son of 1996 Monaco Grand Prix winner Olivier Panis, will join Jean-Michel Baert’s Belgium-based team for the inaugural WTCR season when he links up with Denis Dupont – unveiled on Wednesday evening as a Comtoyou Racing driver with the full support of the Belgian motorsport federation’s RACB National Team.

Panis, who like Dupont will drive an Audi RS3 LMS, is embarking on his second season of touring car racing following a successful single-seater career, which included winning races in Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Renault 3.5.

He began 2017 in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, scoring on his debut in Morocco. However, a frustrating run of results prompted a switch to the TCR International Series with Panis winning on his second start in Thailand. He has also enjoyed success in the Andros Trophy ice racing series electric class, which he currently leads with three events remaining.

“Aurélien showed lots of potential during his half season in the WTCC so we’re very pleased to get the opportunity to work with him again and watch him build on that promise,” said François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCR promoter. “While he’s young in terms of age, Aurélien has gained plenty of experience during his career and his knowledge of the circuits used in the first half of the season will be invaluable to his team and new team-mate Denis Dupont, with whom Aurélien will form an exciting partnership.”

Panis said: “There is some unfinished business for me after I had to leave the WTCC so I am happy to come back to the WTCR where there will be a lot of drivers and a really good level. Last season was my first in front-wheel drive and it was really difficult to adapt, so for sure I am better than 12 months ago. I had a good feeling in TCR and I’m a bit lucky in that I know a lot of the circuits used during the first half of the season when other drivers don’t. I have a good team and a good car so there’s no reason why I can’t win some races.”

François Verbist, Comtoyou Racing’s Team Manager, explained why Panis was the right fit for his squad. “Aurélien is very fast and very skilled as he’s been showing every week in the electric category of the Andros Trophy. We’ll do everything we can with Audi Sport to be very successful from the first race and why not have La Marseillaise playing on the podium at WTCR events.”

The FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) is the new name for the FIA World Touring Car Championship from 2018. Using the TCR technical regulations, the WTCR will visit four continents from April to November with three races scheduled during each weekend. The opening event, WTCR Race of Morocco, takes place in Marrakech from 7-8 April. 

After securing the 2016 and 2017 titles in the World Touring Car Championship Trophy category, capped with a third place finish overall in the WTCC Drivers' Championship last year.

Sébastien Loeb Racing has decided to extend its involvement at the highest level of international touring car racing by joining the newly-launched FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR).

Drawing upon its vast experience around the world's most famous racetracks, the French team has selected the Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, the latest charger developed by Volkswagen Motorsport and the 2017 TCR International Series title-winning car, for this year's WTCR assault.

Sébastien Loeb Racing has entrusted its 350bhp front-wheel drive machines to a pair of top touring car talents in Rob Huff and Mehdi Bennani, who placed second and third respectively in last year's WTCC Trophy classification.

The overall 2012 WTCC Drivers' Champion, Huff joins the Alsace-based squad with high targets.

The English star is also renowned for his nine wins at the iconic Macau street circuit, which is set to play host to the 2018 WTCR season finale. Having flown the Sébastien Loeb Racing flag since 2015, team-mate Bennani has built up an impressive resumé to emerge at the forefront of the field and is primed to feature among the title contenders with the Golf GTI TCR.

Once again, the nine-time WRC champion's team has put together the best technical and sporting package in a bid to extend the string of world title successes they have claimed since 2016.

The all-new FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) is set to visit 10 race tracks across four continents in 2018 following publication of the provisional schedule.

Subject to FIA World Motor Sport Council and national motorsport federation (ASN) approval, the inaugural WTCR calendar will open at the semi-permanent Circuit Moulay El Hassan in Marrakech, Morocco (7-8 April) and close at the Circuito da Guia in Macau (15-18 November), ranked as the world’s most challenging street course and a touring car venue for more than half a century.

Other highlights include races at the Hungaroring near Budapest, the legendary Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany and on the streets of Vila Real in Portugal. Termas de Río Hondo will become Argentina’s home of WTCR in early August, while the series heads to the Ningbo International Speedpark in China (29-30 September).

“Publication of the provisional schedule marks another important step ahead of the inaugural FIA WTCR season in 2018." Commented the Head of Eurosport Events, WTCR promoter François Ribeiro.

"The nine selected events will not only offer a great variety of circuits to drivers and teams, but will also mean that WTCR races take place in front of big crowds. We are in discussions with two potential locations, which Eurosport Events has not worked with before, to select one additional event for FIA WTCR schedule, and we hope to conclude these as soon as possible."

Zandvoort in The Netherlands hosts its first FIA world touring car event since 2007. Suzuka has been chosen as the venue of Japan’s round of the WTCR together with the Super Formula finale.

An extra event is due to be added to bring the 2018 WTCR schedule to 10 weekends, subject to FIA World Motor Sport Council and ASN approval. It will take place on either 21-22 July or 6-7 Octoberdepending on the outcome of ongoing discussions with two parties.

Each WTCR event will feature three races and the provisional calendar for 2018, which remains subject to FIA World Motor Sport Council and ASN ratification, appears below:

Marrakech (Morocco): 7-8 April
Hungaroring (Hungary): 28-29 April
Nürburgring Nordschleife (Germany): 10-12 May
Zandvoort (Netherlands): 19-21 May
Vila Real (Portugal): 23-24 June
Termas de Río Hondo (Argentina): 4-5 August
Ningbo (China): 29-30 September
Suzuka (Japan): 27-28 October
Macau (Macau): 15-18 November

An additional event will be added on either 21-22 July or 6-7 October subject to approval