Guerrieri gets dream WTCC chance

Esteban Guerrieri will follow in the wheel tracks of fellow Argentine José María López when he makes his FIA World Touring Car Championship debut on home soil next month.

At a press conference in the capital Buenos Aires today (Wednesday), it was confirmed that Guerrieri, 31, will drive a Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 for Campos Racing in WTCC Race of Argentina from 5-7 August, in what he hopes will be the start of a long-term adventure on the world stage.

Buenos Aires-based Guerrieri will take inspiration from countryman Pechito López, who scored a debut WTCC win on a one-off outing at Termas de Río Hondo as a privateer in 2013 before earning a factory Citroën drive. It was the catalyst for a dominant, record-breaking WTCC stint for López, which to date has included two world titles. Now Guerrieri, who like López shone in single-seater racing, has been handed a dream opportunity to race in the WTCC in his native Argentina with a full-time drive in the championship from 2017 his target.

Francois Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCC promoter, said: “Welcome to Esteban in the WTCC. Argentina is home to one of the most competitive national touring car championships and has plenty of talents to offer, so it’s no surprise there is interest from Argentinean drivers in the WTCC. Esteban’s background is in single-seaters and front-wheel-drive touring cars, so he has the right background to handle a TC1 racer. The level of the WTCC has been raised significantly since Pechito’s debut in 2013 and it will be interesting to watch Esteban’s progress over the race weekend.”

Guerrieri, who has experience in Formula Renault, Formula 3, Formula 3000 and Indy Lights, said: “It’s a great opportunity and to be part of an FIA world championship is not something that happens every day. I am very enthusiastic to have the chance to compete against the best. Many times in my career in Europe I had to jump into cars I never tested before and went straight to race weekends, and performed very well. These situations empower me even more. Pechito has done an incredible job since he landed in the WTCC. He showed his great talent and set the benchmark for everybody else. It is a positive to have a countryman performing like this, it can open doors for more Latin American drivers to come to the WTCC.”

WTCC Race of Argentina forms rounds 15 and 16 of the 2016 season. This year marks the championship’s fourth visit to Circuito Termas de Río Hondo in the Santiago del Estero region.