WTCR: Alfa Romeo Set for 2020 Comeback

The Alfa Romeo brand is set to return to the World Touring Car grid with the Romeo Ferraris squad in 2020.

In December 2019, Romeo Ferraris announced it would leave the WTCR, having concluded it had reached the full development potential of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR.

Its focuses changed to the new ETCR series and its developments of an electric Guilia TCR car. They tried to sell the 2 Giulietta TCR cars but no sale materialised and the cars remained with the team.

What with WTCR revealing a cost-friendly 2020 calendar comprised of only European races, and crucially a season finale in Romeo Ferraris' home market of Italy, the decision was taken to reverse the December announcement and race in the 2020 World Touring Car Cup.

Romeo Ferraris have already begun a driver selection process for a planned 2 car assault, but admitted that drivers with a budget will be considered due to the current financial crisis caused by the Coronavirus Pandemic.

The return to WTCR will not ipact the ETCR project as the 2 programmes will be run independantly.

Romeo Ferraris finished 7th in the 2019 WTCR series, with Formula E driver Ma Qinghua scoring the team's sole victory in Slovakia race 3.

A statement from Romeo Ferraris' Operations Manager Michela Cerruti said:

“At the end of last season, we were about to sell the two Giuliettas that raced in WTCR 2019, but the sale didn't materialise and so the cars are at our disposal again.

“So we sat around a table to look at each other's faces and said, ‘why not take advantage of them?

"It's an idea that has been on our minds for a couple of weeks now. We've been looking at a number of issues and there are grounds to take the opportunity that the new WTCR calendar gives us, which as we know will only run in Europe. 

“Also the fact that for the first time an event of the series will take place in Italy, on the new track of Adria, has motivated us, thinking about all the fans who have always asked us when they could see in action the Giuliettas of the WTCR in Italy.”

"Today we must try to find the resources, which at the moment it is fair to say we do not have yet.“