TCR touring car class could add series in UK

TCR boss Marcello Lotti told Autosport that he has received interest from parties that want to push the two-litre turbocharged tin-top concept in the UK.

TCR began in 2015 with the International Series, while an Asian series was launched later that year.

The category has spread to Europe in 2016 with championships in Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Russia and the Benelux region, as well as one in Thailand.

A Middle East series has already been announced for next year, when the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship switches to TCR rules.

While the German and Benelux championships are standalone series, some run as classes within established touring car contests.

"We have some requests from different groups of people to establish TCR in the UK," said Lotti.

"I think it would not be before 2018, but nobody knows - could be never, could be 2017.

"We have two serious groups working on it and why not? If they have the credentials we are happy to give the rights to it."

Such a series would likely be in a very similar orbit to the British Touring Car Championship, which also uses two-litre turbocharged machinery.

"When these people called us the first thing I said is, 'Look, you have a fantastic touring car championship [the BTCC] - I don't see that there is space for a different touring car championship,'" added Lotti.

"But the BTCC has works teams and TCR is for customers - maybe they can cooperate with each other."