Ex-IndyCar Luca Filippi switches to TCR Europe after Formula E exit
Single-seater veteran Luca Filippi will race a touring car in 2019 after joining the grid for the seven-round TCR Europe series
Filippi has an extensive background in single-seaters, having finished runner-up in both Auto GP and the GP2 series in which he was active for seven years from 2006-12, and also started 23 IndyCar races from '13-16.
He most recently contested the 2017/18 Formula E season, but was dropped by the NIO team last October despite Filippi claiming he had signed a contract for the current campaign.
Filippi scored one point in 2017/18, compared to team-mate Oliver Turvey's haul of 46.
The 2005 F3000 Italian champion will contest TCR's flagship regional series this year in a Hyundai i30 N run by frontrunning World Touring Car Cup outfit BRC Racing.
Filippi will make his debut at next weekend's Hungaroring season opener, which takes place alongside the second round of the WTCR campaign.
"I can't wait for my first race with the team," said Filippi, who has already driven the i30 N.
"I found an instinctive feeling with the Hyundai i30 N, as it fits my driving style; I found myself comfortable from the first laps, both with the car and the team.
"I thank team principal Massimiliano Fissore for offering me this professional opportunity and I will demonstrate my gratitude with facts, starting from Budapest."
Filippi is the second single-seater driver to have switched to the series for 2019, with former Indy Lights frontrunner Santiago Urrutia announced at the WRT Audi RS3 LMS squad in February.
WTCR race winner Aurelien Comte, pictured above, will race in TCR Europe this year in a Peugeot 308TCR run by the DG Sport Competition squad, which took Comte to 11th in the WTCR points last year.
World Touring Car stalwart Norbert Michelisz's M1RA outfit has also announced a programme in the European series, and will field Hyundais for Daniel Nagy and Luca Engstler.
British driver Josh Files, who finished sixth in the TCR Europe standings in a KCMG Honda Civic Type R in 2018, will remain in the series but has rejoined the Target Competition squad with which he won the '16 and '17 TCR Germany titles.
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