Lynk & Co Cyan Racing heads Down Under to Sydney Motorsport Park this weekend, kicking off the final three consecutive KUMHO TCR World Tour race weekends of 2023 with a night race.
The team will join the competitive TCR Australia field for the races in Sydney and Bathurst for a total grid of 25 cars, before heading to the season finale with the iconic Macau street race.
New for the Australian rounds is that three race heats will be completed each race weekend in contrast to two races in the races earlier this year. And the Sydney round will be held during night time under floodlights.
Yann Ehrlacher heads to race in Australia for the first time ever, right in the TCR World Tour title fight. The Frenchman is placed second overall, just four points from the lead.
"It's great to be back racing after a long break and especially in Australia where I've never been before! This is also the first time we race three weekends in a row and that will be challenging for everyone in the team, but something we're all looking forward to. Sydney Motorsport Park should suit us but we need to qualify well with the new format of three races. Goal is as usual to grab good points for both championship and chase the points lead," said Yann Ehrlacher.
Thed Björk has completed a strong first part of the season and is currently placed sixth overall with one win and four podium finishes, also making his Australian racing debut this weekend.
"Australia is one of my favourite places on earth and I can't wait to kick off the final TCR World Tour part here. It's been an exciting season so far and I expect things to get even tougher as we near the final. The main goal for us is to win together as a team and that's exactly what we will work for this weekend," said Thed Björk.
Santiago Urrutia and Ma Qing Hua are closely matched in the standings, separated by a single point in positions eight and nine.
"I'm ready to start the last part of the championship and I'm super happy to race in Australia. The expectation is to create the best possible conditions in both the drivers' and teams' championship ahead of the season finale. I will run with low weight this weekend, so I think we are in a good spot to challenge for wins," said Santiago Urrutia.
For Ma Qing Hua it will be an even tougher challenge as he will complete four race weekends in a row, having won a race in TCR China last weekend.
"My feeling is great after the win in TCR China and I'm excited to do four race weekends in a row. I've raced in Australia before, but never at Sydney Motorsport Park or Bathurst. I'm especially looking forward to Bathurst, my favourite circuit that I've never raced at before. We need to be careful of the local drivers in TCR Australia as they have a lot of experience, but I still feel confident ahead of the races," said Ma Qing Hua.
Lynk & Co Cyan Racing holds a robust lead in the teams' standings, heading BRC Hyundai by 119 points. But the team can by no means relax with a total of eight race heats remaining in the final three race weekends.
"This is the first time since the start of Cyan Racing in 1996 that we will race for three consecutive weekends, a massive challenge for everyone involved, especially to race in Australia and Macau. But we are up for the challenge and ready for what will be three crucial race weekends to our unchanged goal of claiming the TCR World Tour titles," said Fredrik Wahlén, Team Manager of Cyan Racing.
All races will be broadcast LIVE via the TCR TV streaming platform.
For further information about the KUMHO TCR World Tour, click here.
TCR World Tour – Race of Australia
Sydney Motorsport Park
Schedule
Times in AEDT (+10H CET)
Friday - 3/11
11:10 - Warm up
13:20 – Free Practice 1
15:50 - Free Practice 2
18:00 - Qualifying
20:40 - Race 1
Saturday – 4/11
16:05 - Race 2
19:55 - Race 3
Standings - Drivers - Top 5
1 - Norbert Michelisz 270 pts
2 - Yann Ehrlacher 266 (-4)
3 - Rob Huff 247 (-23)
4 - Mikel Azcona 243 (-27)
5 - Néstor Girolami 220 (-50)
...
6 - Thed Björk 206 (-64)
8 - Santiago Urrutia 182 (-88)
9 - Ma Qing Hua 181 (-89)
Standings - Teams - Top 5
1 - Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 642 pts
2 - BRC Hyundai 523 (-119)
3 - Audi Sport Comtoyou 471 (-171)
4 - ALM Motorsport Honda 182 (-460)
5 - Comtoyou Racing 148 (-494)
2023 TCR World Tour calendar
28-30 April – Portimao – Portugal
26-28 May – Spa – Belgium
09-11 June – Vallelunga – Italy
16-18 June – Hungaroring – Hungary
18-20 August – El Pinar – Uruguay
25-27 August – San Luis – Argentina
03-05 November – Sydney Motorsport Park - Australia
10-12 November – Bathurst – Australia
17-19 November – Macau – China
Further TCR World Tour images.
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.