Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe

AutoGP weighing up rejoining WTCC package in 2014

Auto GP is weighing up a return to the FIA World Touring Car Championship package in 2014

The series ran exclusively with WTCC in 2012, before reducing the number of events it shared with the Eurosport-promoted championship to three this season.

Series organisers have presented a proposal to teams in Mugello to move away from this year's largely European-based calendar and adopt an increased number of fly-away races.

The series is set to continue featuring eight rounds, but venues in 2014 could include a race Japan, China, Argentina and the USA if the proposal is accepted.

Virtuosi Racing team manager Andy Roche said teams will collectively consider the proposal and deliver feedback before the series' next round at the Nurburgring in mid-August.

"We can see the potential advantages to the proposed calendar and also some drawbacks," Roche told AUTOSPORT.

"The series is definitely picking up increased interest from drivers, we just have to work out and decide together on the best way to attract drivers.

"We will all get back to [series promoter] Enzo [Coloni] before the next race at the Nurburgring with our thoughts."

Super Nova International team manager John Sears added, "I think most of the teams were agreed that we would be happy to do the long hauls if there was no increase to budgets.

"That would probably mean finding a series sponsor to help subsidise those races.

"I am not sure how viable races in Argentina and Japan would be if they pushed budgets up from 550-600 000 Euros to 700 000 Euros.

"However, things like a race in the US could help us attract a driver from the States, where there has already been some interest.

"It is also true to say that at the moment we're competing with Formula Renault 3.5 and GP3 in Europe, by adding more races outside of Europe it could give us a unique promotional point.

"By being on the WTCC package it would secure continued TV coverage from Eurosport, which is obviously a good thing."

AUTOSPORT understands changes to Auto GP's technical package are likely to be limited for the 2014 season.

Be part of the Autosport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Mugello Auto GP: Karthikeyan claims second consecutive pole
Next article Mugello Auto GP: Van Buuren prevails in fraught opener

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Autosport Plus

Discover premium content
Subscribe