TCR: Belgium selects its young talent
SIGHTING WITH AUDI Following a slightly different pattern to the Swiss Young Driver Challenge, the Belgians determined the winner of a talent scouting event. Gilles Magnus (19) already has plenty of racing experience and will be driving an Audi in the TCR Benelux in 2019. The "AutoScout24 Young Driver Challenge powered by Seat" generated an enormous response in Switzerland. The drivers, who are competing in the [...]
The "AutoScout24 Young Driver Challenge powered by Seat" generated an enormous response in Switzerland. Unique in modern times (in the 80s, for example, there was the Marlboro Challenge in Formula Ford), it produced Oliver Holdener in 2017 and Julien Apothéloz in 2018 as overall winners.
Apothéloz will drive in the ADAC TCR Germany next year. As a dowry, the 17-year-old from Zurich received prize money of 50,000 Swiss francs tied to a Cupra team.
Two icons on the jury
The Belgians took a somewhat different approach to their competition. While in the Swiss Young Driver Challenge the young candidates had to pre-qualify at regional kart tracks and had never been allowed to hold a racing license for circuit racing (except for karting), in Belgium seasoned young racers could also apply.
The Royal Automobile Club RACB began its talent search in September at racing simulators. The talent search was concluded in November at Audi Sport in Neuburg.
In the final of the last five candidates, 19-year-old Gilles Magnus prevailed. The jury included nine-time Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen and Belgian touring car icon Marc Duez, multiple winner of the Spa 24 Hours.
Not a blank slate
At the wheel of an Audi RS 3 LMS TCR from Comtoyou Racing, where Stefano Comini from Ticino drove in 2017, Magnus managed to set the fastest time on a wet track during the final test. As a reward, he is allowed to compete in the 2019 TCR Benelux as a member of the RACB National Team on an Audi RS 3 LMS of the Belgian team.
Gilles Magnus is no stranger to racing. In 2017, as a 17-year-old, he was part of the overall winning team in the 24 Hours of Zolder on a Norma Honda sports car. That same season, Magnus was runner-up in the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC (Northern European Cup). Just last October, he won the final race of the GT4 Sprint Cup Europe at Hockenheim on a Mercedes-AMG GT4.
The title in the transnational TCR Benelux was won by Audi driver Jean-Karl Vernay in 2018. Runner-up Maxime Potty (VW Golf TCR) also took part in this talent scouting and lost out to the chosen overall winner.
