Sydney Kicks off Intense TCR World Tour Final Sprint for Lynk & Co Cyan Racing

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 nighttime under floodlights.

Yann Ehrlacher heads to race in Australia for the first time, 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, especially in Australia, where I’ve never been! 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 must qualify well with the new format of three races. The goal is as usual, to grab good points for both championships and chase the points lead,” said Yann Ehrlacher.

Thed Björk has completed a solid 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 king off the final TCR World Tour part here. It’s been an exciting season, 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 conditions in 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 more formidable 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 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.

TCR World Tour – Race of Australia

Sydney Motorsport Park

Schedule – Times in AEDT (-10H CET)

Friday – 3/11

11:00 – 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