MUNDIAL - PURE ETCR

Sábado, 21 Agosto 2021 09:39 | Actualizado em Segunda, 06 Maio 2024 04:58

French finale for PURE ETCR as European climax confirmed

- First all-electric touring car title winner to be crowned at Pau-Arnos E-Circuit
- Home event confirmed for French racers Jean-Karl Vernay & John Filippi
- Calendar revision necessary in light of continued uncertainty over Asian travel

 The world’s first all-electric touring car title winner will be confirmed at Pau-Arnos E-Circuit in France as part of a calendar revision announced today that will set up a thrilling season finale between some of the world’s top racing drivers.

PURE ETCR Race FR at Pau-Arnos E-Circuit replaces the event that had been scheduled to take place at Inje Speedium, South Korea, and will be held on the same weekend as originally planned - October 15-17 - as part of a double-header event with the WTCR - FIA World Touring Car Cup.

The announcement means PURE ETCR will race in France for the first time and provides a home event for Hyundai Motorsport N drivers Jean-Karl Vernay and John Filippi.

Asian events not possible in 2021

As part of its commitment to sustainability and as a holder of the FIA’s Three Star Environmental Accreditation, PURE ETCR’s promoter, Eurosport Events, relies on sea freight for its international races.

However, to reach South Korea in time for the planned PURE ETCR event at Inje Speedium from October 16-17, the container ship carrying the PURE ETCR cars, spare components, equipment and infrastructure, would have to leave Europe before the end of August.

Despite senior staff at event promoter, Innocean Worldwide, making every possible effort to ease the entry process, the event organising committee has decided to cancel the event as there remains no clarity on when quarantine requirements will be lifted or if further restrictions will be imposed. Therefore, with considerable reluctance, the decision not to include the event on the 2021 calendar was taken collaboratively.

Discussions continue regarding plans to hold the event at Inje in 2022, by which time PURE ETCR will have evolved into the FIA eTouring Car World Cup.

Pau-Arnos E-Circuit puts electromobility front and centre

Located 20km west of the city of Pau in southwest France - an area steeped in motorsport history - the Pau-Arnos E-Circuit is one of Europe’s most forward-thinking circuits with regards to electric technology.

A series of upgrades to the 3.030km circuit in 2018 provided pit boxes with permanent electric charging stations as part of its ‘EV-ready’ infrastructure as it aims to become a zero-emission facility in the near future.

Most recently, the circuit has bought the four electric go-karts presented at the Youth Games in Buenos Aires to promote electric motorsport.

The track is currently laying the foundations for a development project around renewable energies and new mobility and has the support of local authorities and major players in both the economy plus energy and environmental research to achieve this.

This development takes place as an identified project inside a global economic approach supported by local and national stakeholders called the Territoire d'Industrie Lacq Pau Tarbes, one of Europe’s most active institutions in energy and environmental research.

Xavier Gavory, PURE ETCR Series Director, said: “Sadly, during 2021 the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the world in many ways, one of which has been to create a huge amount of uncertainty around travel, security and logistics, especially on different continents, and for this reason it will not be possible travel to Inje Speedium. While it’s extremely regrettable that we cannot make our Asian debut in South Korea, I would like to thank the team at event promoter, Innocean Worldwide, for their tireless efforts to try and make the event viable for us. When we do race in South Korea, it will feel extra-special for the huge amount of work it will have taken. But while one door closes, another opens and we are very pleased to race at a circuit with electromobility at its heart; the Pau-Arnos E-Circuit. Not only is the location in a region that is famous for motorsport, but it should also provide fantastic racing for our 500kW ETCR cars and help us to showcase the full mindblowing potential of electric cars.”