The picturesque Red Bull Ring circuit in Spielberg, Austria will host the fourth round of the 2019 TCR Europe championship. The circuit situated 2 hours from Vienna is part of the TCR Europe calendar for the first time, with the championship visiting the track just two weeks after the thrilling Austrian Grand Prix event was held there.
Josh Files and his Target Competition team are no newcomers to the circuit however, winning there in both 2016 and 2017 whilst competing in the TCR Germany Championship, and will therefore bring back fond memories for both the driver and team alike.
After a massive qualifying accident at the previous round in Spa-Francorchamps, Files will be sporting a completely new car for this round and the remainder of the season. Despite the accident itself, courtesy of the efforts that Target Competition put in to rebuilding the car during the weekend, Files did manage to score valuable points last time out at Spa meaning he is currently lying fourth overall in the Drivers’ Standings with the team still firmly leading the Teams’ Trophy.
Looking ahead to the Red Bull Ring weekend, the 28-year-old Brit will be looking to use his track knowledge and previous experiences there to get back to winning ways and continue pushing for podium positions.
“Firstly a huge thanks to all of the boys at Target for getting a new car ready for me in such a short amount of time. It really was a mega effort by all of them!” expressed Files
“Red Bull Ring is a very special circuit to me. I’ve raced here in Clios and TCR Germany and managed to win rain or shine, so obviously I’d like to keep that momentum going not just to repay the boys for their hard work but also to reignite my campaign this season.”
“It’s honestly my favourite track of all time. It’s 8 corners all completely different that require a huge amount of accuracy and a lot of commitment. I cannot wait to test out my new Hyundai i30 N on this track. I really feel it will suit us and we have a great chance of victory this weekend!”
Track action gets underway at 13.30 on Friday 12th July for the first of two free practice sessions. Qualifying is first thing Saturday morning at 8.30am local time with race one taking place at 13.30 that afternoon. The second and final race will take place on Sunday at 11.30 with both races as usual being live streamed free across the continent and broadcast live on local terrestrial TV.