Multiple world champions Lynk & Co Cyan Racing will start a new era this weekend as the all-new Kumho TCR World Tour season starts at Algarve in Portugal - facing tough opposition from Audi, Honda and Hyundai teams on legendary circuits all over the world, including Bathurst and Macau.
"This season marks the eighth consecutive season of global touring car racing for Cyan Racing and the team is thoroughly motivated to head into this new era. We have had a hectic but productive pre-season with the new generation Lynk & Co 03 TCR. We look forward to really put to the test in the highest form of global touring car racing in the TCR World Tour, starting this weekend," said Fredrik Wahlén, Team Manager of Cyan Racing.
The TCR World Tour races together with highly competitive national and regional TCR championships around the world for a total of nine race weekends, starting with the TCR Europe series for the first two rounds.
The Swedish team will field four new generation Lynk & Co 03 TCR race cars for multiple touring car champions and race winners Yann Ehrlacher, Santiago Urrutia, Ma Qing Hua and Thed Björk.
"I’m really excited to start the new TCR World Tour era and to start our fight for the titles, which as always is our goal. We have a new car which has performed promising during pre-season testing, but which also means a lot of unknowns. It will be interesting to share the track with other championships and fight with the best touring car drivers in the world. The concept is exciting, and I can’t wait to get going," said Yann Ehrlacher.
"I’m very happy to start a new season with Cyan Racing and especially in the TCR World Tour. It’s a massive challenge to race in a world championship but the ambition is always to win. We don’t know where we are yet compared to our competitors with the new car, but we will for sure fight hard from the first to the last race," said Santiago Urrutia.
The Lynk & Co Cyan Racing quartet arrives to the Portuguese season opener straight from pre-season testing where plenty of development kilometres have been completed.
"This is going to be a really interesting and competitive season, a new chapter for everyone involved. We’re coming directly from pre-season testing with the new car and we won’t know where we are compared to our competitors until the weekend starts. But we will as always work methodically and aim for the very top," said Ma Qing Hua.
"I’m fully motivated ahead of the season start and especially to race at Portimao which is like a giant rollercoaster circuit. There is no doubt that this will be a tough season with a lot of unknowns. But we have one of the best teams in the world and I have some of the best team-mates in the world, we are ready for the challenge," said Thed Björk.
The TCR World Tour opener at Autódromo Internacional de Algarve starts on Friday with practice, followed by qualifying and Race 1 on Saturday and Race 2 on Sunday.
All races will be broadcast LIVE via the TCR TV streaming platform.
For further information about the TCR World Tour, click here.
TCR World Tour – Race Of Portugal
Autódromo Internacional de Algarve
Schedule – Times in WEST
Friday - 28/4
11:54 – Free Practice 1
16:42 – Free Practice 2
Saturday – 29/4
09:50 – Qualifying
14:20 – Race 1
Sunday – 30/4
11:30 – Race 2
Ends.
Media contact information
Johan Meissner
PR 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 seven touring car World Titles, most recently the 2021 WTCR drivers' and teams' titles with Lynk & Co – and participated in the development of the Polestar performance models of the Volvo S60 and V60 in the years 2013 to 2015, including the concept models Volvo C30 and S60 Polestar Concept Prototype. The company launched the Volvo P1800 Cyan in 2020, Cyan Racing’s interpretation of the iconic Volvo sports car from the sixties.
About Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co was created to provide mobility solutions for the connected generation. We do make really, really good cars (the kind that have all the features you want without you having to ask for them), but we also offer a new way of using those cars. Our membership-based approach makes it simple to get on the go. Members can access a car on a flexible, month-to-month basis and share with friends, family, and the Lynk & Co community.
About Geely Group Motorsport
Geely Group Motorsport is a brand neutral entity based within Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. It was founded in 2018 to provide strategic and tactical expertise to serve the best motorsport sporting and commercial interests for the auto brands in the group. One of its tactical assignments include the development and management of the Lynk & Co TCR and customer racing programmes.