TCR World and life

12 INTERVIEW So, just like WTCR and TCR, PURE ETCR will form the peak of the ETCR pyramid. How this will be built? “Now we have PURE ETCR, that is the icing on the cake, but we are already working on building the rest of the pyramid. We are receiving requests from several promoters, most of them already involved in TCR activities, who want to organise ETCR events in their own countries. We are all aware that compared to a normal race meeting for thermal-engined cars, ETCR – like all the events for electric vehicles – requires a different approach in a lot of aspects, such as safety regulations, preparation of the track, staff formation and so on. Which is the reason why we don’t want to rush; on the contrary, we adopt a scrupulous approach in the diffusion of the regional and nationals series. In the beginning we will give priority to those regions that are of special interest for the manufacturers; in this respect, considering the promoters that have already signed a commitment, our ideal timeline includes launching ETCR series in North America, Asia and Northern Europe from 2022.” ETCR cars will provide stunning performance; will this be enough to convince motorsport enthusiasts that a cleaner motorsport is possible and exciting? “We must educate the fans and let them understand that exciting motorsport competition is possible with these new technologies and I am very confident this will happen. The ETCR cars’ looks and performance are superior than those of the thermal- engined Touring Cars. If people think that the engine sound makes the difference, they are wrong; the sound of electric motors is different, but sends a thrill up the spine. I believe that with their huge power, lightning acceleration, skidding out of the corners and the inevitable contact while fighting, the ETCR cars will deliver an exciting show.” One concern around ETCR is that it may be a very expensive category. Is this true? “We have the experience we grew with TCR. Since the sales of racing cars began at the end of 2014, the price has been increased by less than 10% in five years and that was mainly due to inflation. We have adopted the same approach for ETCR. Obviously everything depends on the