No race in Asia, economic shock for motorsport: the WTCR aims to be realistic

The 2020 calendar established by the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) at the end of May is distinguished by the total absence of an event on the Asian continent. Indeed, six trips are planned between September and November next, only in Europe. 

The last seasons of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) then the two inaugural WTCR campaigns nevertheless gave pride of place toAsia, with “40% of the initial schedule” as recalled by François Ribeiro, head of Eurosport Events and promoter of the competition. 

This sacrifice was not taken lightly. The reflection period was short due to the uncertainties hovering over the date of resumption of transport transcontinental after the coronavirus. Cars travel by sea while WTCR human resources (organizers, drivers) travel by plane. 

“For the Asian races to take place, freight must be shipped from Europe by the end of July. For now, it is simply impossible to predict what restrictions will still be in place by then, the possibility of a second wave of Covid-19 being a scenario to take into account, he points.

According to François Ribeiro, the return to normal is not imminent in terms of transport and measures concerning life in society. “The pandemic has caused significant disruption to international freight transport, flight schedules have been disrupted and it is not clear when these services will operate properly again, what restrictions there will be and we must respect the fact that the measures Quarantine restrictions will remain in place in some countries for months. »

Another consideration is the cost of such travel to the other side of the globe for a championship historically based in Europe (organizer, teams, drivers). « We must ask ourselves whether racing so far from home and the expense it entails is the right and responsible thing to do. to be done from an economic and social point of view. Then there is the safety and well-being of our participants and the wider communities in the Asian countries we were scheduled to visit. »

The teams have of course welcomed this program of six events with satisfaction, “more realistic logistically and financially” for them, while preserving “vital cash flow”.

Furthermore, in the event of successful deconfinement, the WTCR will not change its tune and will not go to Asia, even though the World Cup has a rich history with the Macau Grand Prix and three Asian brands de pointe (Hyundai, Honda, Lynk&Co).

“The events in Asia have been vital to the success of the WTCR and we thank race officials in China, Macau, Malaysia and South Korea, as well as Honda, Hyundai and Lynk&Co for their support and understanding, continues François Ribeiro. Of course, we want nothing more than to return to normal, but we have to be reasonable. 

If we had further delayed the decision to cancel the Asian tour until June, I can guarantee that there would not have been a single free slot on the European tracks later in the year due to the huge amount of rescheduling necessary, not only for the WTCR but also for the many other championships. »

Unlike other international championships, the WTCR does not hide its face and expects profound economic effects in the world of competition. “The economic impact caused by Covid-19 is massive and will harm motorsport for a long time. »

François Ribeiro did not wait to be confined to rationalize the investments made in his discipline, by announcing a reduced running time and numbers within the teams last winter. " There Reducing operating costs is not just an obligation for 2020, but it will also be a priority for 2021.”