RACB NATIONAL TEAM PICKS WTCR AS INTERNATIONAL LAUNCH PAD FOR YOUNG STAR DUPONT

*Belgian promise to contest inaugural FIA World Touring Car Cup
*Comtoyou Racing Audi awaits Dupont for WTCR campaign
*Dupont follows Stoffel Vandoorne in attracting RACB support for racing adventure

Belgium’s motorsport federation, the RACB, has identified the inaugural FIA World Touring Car Cup as the ultimate international launch pad for its young star driver, Denis Dupont.

Dupont, 25, has been part of the RACB National Team since 2016 and impressed on several appearances in TCR events last season.

He will contest the 10-event WTCR in an Audi RS3 LMS run by leading Belgian team Comtoyou Racing, starting with the season-opening FIA WTCR Race of Morocco in Marrakech from 7-8 April.

Speaking at the RACB National Team launch in Brussels on Wednesday evening, François Ribeiro, Head of Eurosport Events, the WTCR promoter, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Denis Dupont to the FIA World Touring Car Cup for what we hope will be the start of a successful and exciting adventure. Denis will be confronted with an extremely competitive field so there’s no doubt that WTCR will be a good place for young talents like him to showcase their skills.”

Of the RACB’s support of Dupont, Ribeiro continued: “It speaks wonders of the drive and ambition of a national federation to back a young driver with financial support to allow them to run at international level and the RACB should be applauded for its fantastic level of commitment. We also look forward to working with Comtoyou Racing, a leading TCR International Series outfit with a strong reputation for success.”

Geoffroy Theunis, Manager of the RACB National Team, said: “We are delighted that Denis can compete in the brand new FIA World Touring Car Cup. It's a great challenge for the RACB National Team to be able to line up a red, yellow and black car in a world championship as hotly contested as this one.”

Denis Dupont, the RACB National Team’s WTCR recruit, said: “I will never be able to show my true gratitude for the exceptional opportunity that the RACB and Comtoyou have given me. I will be part of this growing international series, get more track time than ever before and drive an Audi RS3 LMS from Comtoyou Racing, which is obviously very powerful. Of course, I know almost none of the circuits but I have so many opportunities to be able to show my value and I hope to climb onto the podium several times.”

Comtoyou Racing Team Principal Jean-Pierre Baert has confirmed that his squad plans to run additional entries alongside Dupont and will be revealing its full WTCR line-up in due course.

The FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) is the new name for the FIA World Touring Car Championship from 2018. Using the TCR technical regulations, the WTCR will visit four continents from April to November with three races scheduled during each weekend.

Previous RACB National Team beneficiaries include World Rally Championship driver Thierry Neuville and McLaren Formula One racer Stoffel Vandoorne. All WTCR entries remain subject to final confirmation by the FIA.