- After dominating the TCR Spain in 2023, the Barcelona team expands its structure to take part in the TCR Europe with a driver lineup made up of the 2022 continental champion, Franco Girolami, and the experienced Viktor Davidovski.
- CUPRA Racing remains a strategic partner of the project with the new CUPRA León VZ TCR as the protagonist, the latest evolution of the successful benchmark of the Spanish firm in the TCR championships.
- The Italian Vallelunga circuit hosts this weekend the first of the six meetings that make up the TCR Europe 2024 calendar.
- “Our challenge is clear: Win the TCR Europe. Girolami and Davidovski have enough experience to set ambitious goals for us, as well as working with CUPRA, a partner with absolute guarantees,” says David Simón, Team Manager of Monlau Motul.
- “Our landing at the TCR Europe represents confirmation of the project started last year at the TCR Spain, and reinforces our pyramidal proposal of constant growth for pilots, mechanics and engineers,” comments Jaime Serrano, CEO of Monlau Motorsport.
Monlau Motul will take part in the TCR Europe in 2024 with a competitive lineup of drivers made up of the experienced Franco Girolami, European champion in 2024, and Viktor Davidovski, two-time winner of the prestigious Diamond Trophy, and a complete team of technicians and engineers that make up , among others, alumni and teachers of both mechanics and the Master of Motorsport Engineering at Monlau Motul Technical School. The objective of the Spanish team is to continue the winning streak demonstrated last year in Spain and fight for the continental title, for which they will have the support of CUPRA, which will provide two units of the new CUPRA León VZ TCR. The 2024 TCR Europe calendar has six scoring events, the first of which will be this weekend at the Italian Vallelunga circuit.
Ambition and constant evolution point the way for Monlau Motul. The Barcelona team makes the jump in 2024 to the demanding TCR Europe with the help of CUPRA and an experienced lineup of drivers. David Simón , Team Manager of Monlau Motul, details the keys to this proposal and its objectives: “Our challenge is clear: win the TCR Europe. Franco Girolami and Viktor Davidovski have enough experience to set us ambitious goals, as does the work with CUPRA, a partner with absolute guarantees.”
Franco Girolami will be the leader of the Spanish lineup. Born in Córdoba (Argentina) 32 years ago, he trained in his country’s Formula Renault, where he was runner-up, before progressing in the world of touring cars with TC2000 and Super TC2000, where he won a title in 2012. The first fruits of his jump to European competitions came in 2021 with the runner-up finish in the TCR Europe, followed by the continental title in 2022 and the victory in the Italian competition TCR Italy last season.
Completing the training is the 43-year-old Macedonian Viktor Davidovski, who has extensive experience in the TCR Europe, of which he has been a regular participant since 2018. The Skopje-born driver’s best background is 4th place in the 2023 edition, and He has won the prestigious Diamond Trophy twice, reserved for drivers over 40 years old.
Monlau Motul Motorsport will rely, once again, on a strategic partner of the highest level: CUPRA Racing, which will line up two units of the new CUPRA León VZ TCR. The new generation of the Spanish model, which makes its competitive debut this weekend in Vallelunga, incorporates notable modifications to the bodywork and gearbox, in addition to a new complete front axle, among other evolutions.
The 2024 TCR Europe season starts this weekend in Vallelunga, which will host the first meeting of the six that make up the competition, all of them with two scoring races. After this event, the event will visit the Zolder circuits (May 18-19), Salzburgring (June 1-2), Spa-Francorchamps (July 5-6), Brno (September 8-9) and Valencia ( September 28-29).
Jaime Serrano , CEO of Monlau Motorsport, sized this new project within the structure of the Spanish team: “Our landing at the TCR Europe represents the confirmation of the project started last year at the TCR Spain, and reinforces our pyramidal proposal of constant growth for pilots, mechanics and engineers. The move to the continental competition is a way of giving continuity to our structure. Our challenge in 2024 is to work hard with our TCR Spain drivers, to help them progress to TCR Europe in 2025. In this sense, CUPRA’s support at a human and media level is decisive, and we feel a great responsibility to give them all the trust that they have placed in us as a brand. “We embarked on a 100% professional adventure with the hope of forming a very solid team.”
The first round of the TCR Europe will begin this Friday with the first two free practice sessions and qualifying. On Saturday afternoon (6:05 p.m.) the first race will begin, and on Sunday at noon (3:15 p.m.) the second will take place. Both can be followed from the TCR TV streaming platform.
