Lynk & Co blasts WTCR over BOP

Geely Group, the parent company of top World Touring Car Cup marque Lynk & Co, has blasted series promoter Eurosport Events and “suspended its cooperation” with promoting its local round at Ningbo, China, this November over the series’ Balance of Performance measures.

Yann Ehrlacher drove a Lynk & Co 03 to the 2020 title, but the Cyan Racing-run machines struggled in qualifying for the season opener on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, with Santiago Urrutia in fifth the best-placed of its quartet, 2.511 seconds off the pace. The Uruguayan scored the same result in the non-reversed-grid race, behind two Hyundais and two Hondas.

Prior to last weekend’s second round at Estoril, Geely released a strongly worded statement. “It has been made quite clear that there is no point in us being involved in promoting the FIA WTCR races in China commercially as a result of the current sporting conditions of the series,” said Victor Yang, vice-president of the Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. “We have no confidence left in the TCR/WTCR organisations.

“This race is a key event for us to connect the racing programmes of the Lynk & Co 03 and the performance road car versions of it. But when the racing cars are not on a level playing field, there is no point in us investing commercially in the WTCR race weekend only to subject our customers, fans and brand to agony on our largest home market.”

The statement added that Hyundai and Honda have “received far more advantageous BOP levels” than the Lynk & Co, which ran heavier, with less power and an increased rideheight relative to its rivals.

Ironically, Ehrlacher went on to head a 1-2-3 for Lynk & Co in the reversed-grid counter at Estoril, although fifth (for Urrutia) was its best result in the other race.

WTCR declined to comment when approached by Autosport.