The pressure is rising as Lynk & Co Cyan Racing heads to Macau, the most fearsome street circuit in the world, this weekend for the penultimate FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) race of 2019.
While Lynk & Co Cyan Racing heads the teams' championship by just four points, Thed Björk and Yvan Muller are chasing hard to regain ground in the drivers' championship where they are 40 and 48 points behind respectively.
85 points are available each race weekend for the two qualifying sessions and three races.
"Macau is an incredibly tough circuit, definitely one of the toughest in the world and this is my third race here. My focus is set on qualifying at the front as street circuits are notoriously difficult to pass on and Macau is no exception. We need to score a lot of points this weekend to keep in touch with the title fights of both the drivers' and teams' championship," said Thed Björk.
"Macau is Macau, it's impossible to predict what is going to happen. The challenge is 100 times bigger at Macau than elsewhere. I've had both good and bad moments here like in 2007 when my car stopped on the last lap when I was virtual champion and in 2008 when I claimed my first world title," said Yvan Muller.
Andy Priaulx, who fought for pole position in the previous WTCR round at Suzuka, is no stranger to Macau, having raced at the legendary street circuit eight times from 2003 to 2010.
“I just love the track and can’t wait to get there. It might be one of the trickiest on our calendar, but without doubt it is the most rewarding and fun to drive on," said Andy Priaulx.
"My results have improved over this first season with the Lynk & Co Cyan Racing team and I believe that elusive podium and perhaps my first win are in touching distance."
23-year-old Yann Ehrlacher has together with Yvan Muller scored the most podium finishes for Lynk & Co Cyan Racing this season with six so far, chasing his first Macau podium finish this weekend.
"Macau is definitely one of the big three of the WTCR calendar alongside Vila Real and the Nürburgring Nordschleife," said Yann Ehrlacher.
"I think we have a strong car for the uphill section of the track but I think we will struggle on the straights due to our weight and power difference to our competitors. Of course the goal this weekend is to grab as many points for the championship as possible to keep the team championship lead and help Thed and Yvan in the drivers' championship."
The WTCR on track action starts on Thursday with free practice, followed by qualifying on Friday and three races spread across Saturday and Sunday.
FIA WTCR Race of Macau
Schedule
Times in CEST (local time is +7h)
Thursday November 14th
02:00-02:45 – Free Practice 1
05:40-06:10 – Free Practice 2
Friday November 15th
01:50-02:30 – Qualifying 1
06:35-07:50 – Qualifying 2
Saturday November 16th
07:55-08:20 – Race 1 (8 laps)
Sunday November 17th
01:45-02:10 – Race 2 (8 laps)
04:25-04:55 – Race 3 (11 laps)
Standings
Points for drivers – Top 5
1 Esteban Guerrieri Honda Civic 288 points
2 Norbert Michelisz Hyundai i30 282 (-6)
3 Thed Björk Lynk & Co 03 248 (-40)
4 Yvan Muller Lynk & Co 03 240 (-48)
5 Mikel Azcona Cupra TCR 198 (-90)
...
8 Yann Ehrlacher Lynk & Co 03 182 (-106)
20 Andy Priaulx Lynk & Co 03 61 (-227)
Points for teams – Top 5
1 Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 488 points
2 Münnich Motorsport 484 (-4)
3 BRC Hyundai Squadra 475 (-13)
4 BRC Hyundai Lukoil 275 (-213)
5 SLR Volkswagen 259 (-229)
...
7 Cyan Performance Lynk & Co 243 (-245)
What happened in the last race?
Read all about it right here.
Contact information
Johan Meissner
Press Manager
Cyan Racing
+46(0)70 241 3234
johan.meissner@cyanracing.com
About Cyan Racing
Cyan Racing was founded in 1996 and was formerly named Polestar until Volvo Cars acquired the performance section and trademark in 2015. Cyan Racing is privately owned and operated. The team has claimed multiple titles, most recently the 2018 FIA World Touring Car Cup team title and the double 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship titles for driver and manufacturer – and participated in the development of the Polestar performance models of the Volvo S60 and V60 in the years 2013 to 2015.
About Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co is the new global urban mobility brand addressing the needs and preferences of the connected generation and challenging auto industry conventions. Its products are designed and engineered in Sweden and will be sold globally.