Volvo to enter WTCC at Brands Hatch

Former British Formula 3 race winner Robert Dahlgren has been racing the ethanol E85-powered car in the Swedish Touring Car Championship this season and is looking forward to making a one-off WTCC appearance in Britain.

"It will be fantastic to race at Brands Hatch again," he said. "I spent most of my youth in Britain and have driven all the tracks in different series so it's exciting to come back, but this time as a works driver for Volvo and in the exciting new C30."

Volvo are keen to evaluate the car against WTCC opposition and motorsport director Derek Crabb says it was always in the plan to test the car in this arena.

"We're naturally excited," he said. "This race was on the to-do list from the start. We wanted this as a check point to see how far we've come against the best.

"We're climbing up the development curve of this car and we strongly believe the Volvo C30 may become a very competitive car in any FIA Super 2000 championship. However, it's important to stay pragmatic and do things in the right order."

Dahlgren will be run at Brands by Polestar Racing AB, who also run him in the Swedish series, although the car will not be eligible for points at the event.