After months of preparation, the 2025 TCR European Endurance championship is ready to get started: following its inaugural season last year, the series promoted by Mauricio Slaviero is set to start off its journey in Mugello, heading to the Italian racetrack for the first time. The starting grid has grown exponentially compared to 2024, with 20 drivers ready to get their season underway in Tuscany.
All eyes will be on reigning champions TEXACO Team AMS. The Turkish outfit won all four titles last season, and their intentions are clear: to repeat their previous success. In 2025, the team will field two Audi RS3: a Gen-1 car, driven by reigning DSG champion Ibrahim Okyay and 39-year-old Sinan Çiftçi, and one with a DSG gearbox, with Berk Kalpaklıoğlu and Zekai Özen behind the wheel. To challenge TEXACO Team AMS’ reign in the overall standings, three teams will bring a TCR car with sequential gearbox to the table.
After challenging for the title in 2024, PMA Motorsport is set to try again this season; their Audi RS3 LMS will be driven by Sandro Pelatti and international star Franco Girolami, the same pair that won in Misano-1 last year. Nevertheless the Argentinian is a three-time TCR Champion, 2022 & 2024 European and 2023 in Italy. BF Motorsport is set to make their debut in the series with another Audi RS3 LMS, as Yuri Brigliadori and Alessandro Alcidi form an exciting pair that hopes to bring home impressive results. Last but not least, Wimmer Werk Motorsport will field a Cupra Leon TCR: with an experienced pair made up of three-time TCR Italy champion Salvatore Tavano and Eric Scalvini, the team is set to fight for success right away.
The Austrian outfit is also bringing another Cupra to the starting grid, this time in the DSG category – the most populated of the series, with six cars ready to fight for the class title. To try and do that, Wimmer Werk has formed an all-Jamaican pair of young talent Senna Summerbell and national legend Chris Issa. Other than the already mentioned TEXACO Team AMS entry, Tuder Motorsport is also entering the series for the first time. The team is set to bring two different cars: an Audi RS3 DSG, driven by Emilio Damante and Edoardo Maccari, and a VW Golf GTI DSG, with Italians Alessio Alcidi and Luca Giovannoni ready to make their TCR European Endurance debut. Last but not least, Faro Racing is also joining the starting grid with a double entry, as two VW Golf GTI DSG gear up to start their 2025 journey as well.
The opening round of the season is set to take place in Mugello. First, the drivers will have the chance to get used to the track with 80 minutes of free practice sessions: the first hour on Friday, March 28th at 17:05 local time, and the other 20 minutes on Saturday, March 29th at 9:45 local time. The rest of the day will be dedicated to qualifying, as two turns by 15 minutes each – starting at 13:10 and 13:55 local time respectively – will determine the starting grid. Both stages will then take place on Sunday, March 30th: Stage 1 is set to begin early in the morning at 8:45 local time, whereas Stage 2 will start at 17:25. The action on Sunday will be broadcast live on TCR TV’s official YouTube channel.
