The TCR South America season kicks off at Rosario

TCR South America's new season kicks off at Rosario's Autódromo Municipal Juan Manuel Fangio, the same venue where the 2024 championship came to an end in December when Pedro Cardoso won the first race and secured the crown.

The Brazilian driver is back for defending the title, still at the wheel of his Peugeot 308 run by PMO Racing; he will be joined by the 26-year-old rookie Genaro Rasetto and Panama's Luis Ramírez.

Raphael Reis, a title contender in the four previous years, continues with the same team and car: W2 Pro GP and CUPRA Leon VZ; his new temmate is Fabrício Pezzini, the 2022 champion.

Paladini Racing top drivers, Fabián Yannantuoni and Juan Ángel Rosso have swapped the Toyota Corolla cars they drove last years for Lynk & Co cars, while team's newcomer Santino Balerini will race a Corolla, just like the 18-year-old María Nienkötter who has joined Cobra Racing after winning the selection for female drivers organised by TCR South America and Brazil’s National Sporting Authority CBA.

The most impressive line-up is that of Squadra Martino that will run five Honda Civic cars under the banner Honda YPF Racing. Last year's race winner Leonel Pernía will drive an FL5 just like his son Tiago and Nelson Piguet jr., while Leonel's brother Mariano and three-time Top Race champion Adrián Chiriano will run in FK7 models.

Entry list

1 – Pedro Cardoso (PMO Racing, Peugeot 308)

3 – Luis Ramírez (PMO Racing, Peugeot 308)

5 – Fabián Yannantuoni (Paladini Racing, Lynk & Co 03)

16 – Juan Ángel Rosso (Paladini Racing, Lynk & Co 03)

23 – María Nienkötter (Cobra Racing, Toyota Corolla GRS)

33 – Nelson Piquet Jr. (Honda YPF Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5)

44 – Leonel Pernía (Honda YPF Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5)

55 – Mariano Pernía (Honda YPF Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK7)

66 – Genaro Rasetto (PMO Racing, Peugeot 308)

77 – Raphael Reis (W2 Pro GP, CUPRA Leon VZ)

85 – Tiago Pernia (Honda YPF Racing, Honda Civic Type R FL5)

88 – Adrián Chiriano (Honda YPF Racing, Honda Civic Type R FK7)

95 – Santino Balerini (Paladini Racing, Toyota Corolla GRS)

113 – Fabrício Pezzini (W2 Pro GP, CUPRA Leon VZ

Schedule (Live streaming)

Saturday - Qualifying, 17:05 (21:05 CET)

Sunday - Race 1, 09:15 (14:15 CEST)

Sunday - Race 2, 12:10 (17:10 CEST)

Picture: TCR South America