MOTORSPORT: Peugeot trumps Audi and Honda in TCR

Peugeot is mounting a surprise attack on the inaugural carsales TCR Australia Series.

The French company is sending factory driver Aurelien Comte and one of its Peugeot 308 TCR cars, together with a crew of engineers and mechanics, to the season finale at Tailem Bend on November 15-17.

The Peugeot push trumps the efforts of both Honda and Audi, which inserted their factory drivers JK Vernay and Nestor Girolami into local teams to score victories at Queensland Raceway and Sandown Park.

Comte will have a tough target as Girolami swept the Sandown weekend when he was quickest in every track session and won all three sprints with Wall Racing in one of its Honda Civic Type Rs.

But it will not be the finish for Peugeot, as the company’s race car will stay in Australia after The Bend and is expected to join the grid when the TCR Australia makes its first appearance on the undercard at the Australian Grand Prix next March.

Peugeot has been a solid performer in the TCR Europe championship, with Comte scoring a series of victories and podiums to hold 10th place in the series. He was also the development driver for the 308 TCR and competed in the World TCR series in 2018.

The arrival of the 308 takes the number of brands represented in the Australian series to nine, alongside Alfa Romeo, Audi, Holden, Honda, Hyundai, Renault, Subaru and Volkswagen.

“We are looking forward to our participation with Peugeot Sport for the Tailem Bend round,” says Mayeul Tyl, director of Peugeot Citroen Racing Shop.

“We have watched the Australian TCR series with a lot of interest. The Australian series generates a lot of attention in Europe, it is really great to see lots of different car brands and is a very professional series. We are very excited to bring our Peugeot 308 TCR to Australia.”

TCR Australia says it is pleased to have its first official foreign team at Tailem Bend, where the car count for the championship should edge closer to 20.

“Peugeot has been one of the quiet achievers in global TCR competition over the past few years, so we’re looking forward to how they stack up against our Australian entries,” says Matt Braid, director of Australian Racing Group, which promotes TCR racing in Australia.

“This will be a serious entry – a fully-fledged factory run car by the team at Peugeot Sport, including the team’s current works driver.”