The ageless motorsport of touring car racing

Yann Ehrlacher, Lynk & Co Cyan Racing. Photo: DPPI

On November 15 2020, the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup crowned the youngest ever world touring car champion, Yann Ehrlacher, aged 24.

The same weekend at Brands Hatch in the UK, Ash Sutton won the British Touring Car Championship drivers’ title for the second time at the age of 26.

While it was a weekend in which the young, rising stars of tin-top racing celebrating, it’s not as though the older generations are out of the game just yet.

Ehrlacher secured his title at the age of 24 years and 134 days, taking the record for youngest ever world touring car champion from José María López, who won his first title at the age of 31, a month younger than the previous record holder Andy Priaulx.

The Frenchman therefore establishes a tough new target to beat at the top tier of touring car racing.

While youth is celebrated in the motorsport category, experience goes a long way as well, and while in single-seater racing, it’s apparently time to start talking about retirement when you’re in your late ‘30s, in tin tops your racing life can last as long as a desk job, which means Ehrlacher and Sutton’s achievements are even more significant - achieving success at this level in a field full of fast, and very experienced talent.

Ehrlacher’s title comes just two years after Gabriele Tarquini set at least an equally (if not more incredible) feat, winning the world title at the age of 56.

Gabrele Tarquini, BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse. Photo: DPPI

Tarquini’s achievement sets a strong precedent, with age alone not really able to be used as a measure to tell a driver when to hang up his helmet. Tarquini’s proved If you’re still able to maintain your fitness, drive fast, fight hard, you can still win races and championships, and obviously deserve to be on the grid.

Yvan Muller, the 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013 champion (and now I’m eventually going to mention it, the uncle of the new champion), technically retired in 2017, but that lasted less than a year, with the new TCR machinery and some pressure from Cyan Racing put him back on the grid in 2018, and he almost won the title on his returning year – and now, aged 51, finished as runner-up in the 2020 standings.

In the UK, Muller’s generation are still able to mix it at the front. Matt Neal, 53, was a regular on the podium this year, and for all of about 30 minutes won a race at the Croft circuit in his Honda Civic, before being penalised for his ‘90s-style race-pass on Josh Cook on the final lap.

Matt Neal, Halfords Yuasa Racing. Photo: Jakob Ebrey

While quite often every year when an ‘experienced’ driver signs to be on the grid, some argue it’s taking a seat away from a younger driver - especially in touring car racing where the grid has a wider range of ages - that criticism is comfortably flawed.

There’s a fantastic range of age on the typical touring car grid; arguably the most diverse of all the motorsport categories - with ‘old’ favourites competing against new names. some of which are breaking into the sport having never seen the likes of Tarquini, Plato, and Muller even race.

This new generation such as Ehrlacher, Sutton, Tom Ingram, Mikel Azcona, Gilles Magnus, Luca Engstler, and Santiago Urrutia are mixing it up with the established best, and building a reputation for themselves with a new generation of fans.