On November 28, a quiet Sunday evening in the country. Suddenly, a powerful message swept the screen in the circle of friends.
The ongoing 2021 WTCR Touring Car World Cup finale, russia's Sochi station heavy rain and waterlogged track, has just completed the first round of the line. At this time, all the people in the P room and the paddock of the Lynk & Co team were happy, and the four blue Lynk & Co 03 TCR cars on the track almost side by side entered the return circle...
After six months of fighting, Lynk & Co won the Constructors of the Year Championship with 392 points, while Lynk & Co driver Jan Ehrasher became the first driver of the year to win the drivers' championship of the year with a total of 223 points this season.
So far, the Linke team has defended the team one leg in advance, the driver's double crown, and it is the first team triple crown in the WTCR Caravan World Cup, and two drivers' championships.
It can be said that the 2021 season Lynk & Co team not only created a new history of Chinese car brands in the world race, but also a height that Chinese car brands have never reached.
The 2021 season's three-game winning streak was hard-won
Back on Sunday, November 28, I encountered bad weather rarely seen in WTCR matches. On the day of the race, due to heavy rain and heavy rain, the track was seriously flooded, which not only made it difficult for the car to start, but also greatly increased the uncertainty of the race.
Although Lynk & Co and driver Jan Ehrasher had a points lead before the Race in Russia, the leading points were not enough to make the race lose the suspense of the race. Under great pressure, the four drivers of the Lynk & Co team strictly implemented the team's orders and completed the race task excellently.
This also reflects the fact that the four Lynk & Co drivers can precisely control their driving speed, as well as a high degree of professionalism and cooperation. In fact, 2021's WTCR has not been smooth sailing from the beginning, as competitors have increased significantly this season. There is also a new season with a new format, with each leg consisting of qualifying and two main races.
This year's track is also not small, in addition to the high-risk street races like sochi station in Russia (also F1 track), there is also the first stop known as the "Green Hell" Nürburgring Circuit in Germany, with a track length of 25.378 kilometers, 64 corners and changeable weather, which will greatly increase the difficulty of the race.
Perhaps the biggest challenge comes from the rules of the race, the Lynk & Co 03 TCR car, although fast, is subject to the extremely strict BoP restrictions of the race – in the case of unfavorable power output, body weight and chassis height.
Even so, after a total of 8 races and 16 rounds in the 2021 season, the Lynk & Co team won a total of 4 championships, 5 asian and 5 seasons. Finally defended the 2021 WTCR Touring Car World Cup Double.
Why is the Lynk & Co 03 TCR racing car so fast? A good foundation is key
It should be noted that the WTCR World Touring Car Championship, like F1, WEC and WRC, is the highest level of competition in the FIA's respective fields, and the drivers and teams that can enter this field are the top in the world. The Lynk & Co team has to face established teams such as Audi, Volkswagen, Honda and Hyundai.
The WTCR was formerly known as the WTCC, and later the FIA underwent a reform to reduce race costs and bring racing closer to civilian cars. The WTCC's TC1 modified specifications of the racing car were eliminated and replaced with the emerging TCR modification specifications.
The biggest feature of the TCR modification specifications is that it is close to the civilian car, that is, if your production car has a good foundation, it is very helpful for the speed and reliability of the car.
The Lynk & Co 03 TCR race car uses the same production frame as the Lynk & Co 03, which is based on the production version of the same series of 2.0TDrive-E series turbocharged direct injection engines, with a maximum output of 350 hp and a maximum torque of 420 Nm.
But what sets the Lynk & Co 03 TCR apart from the civilian car is that it uses a 6-speed sequential transmission for racing, as well as a front six-piston caliper and a 380mm ventilated disc. Rear two-piston caliper, 278 mm ventilated outside the disc. It is also necessary to install a FIA standard roll cage and fire extinguishing system, and the weight of the car is only 1265Kg (including the driver).
For the performance basis of the most important prototype car for TCR-spec racing cars, it is necessary to mention the Lynk & Co CMA infrastructure here. CMA has a high degree of modularity and flexibility, for civilian vehicles, it is equivalent to splitting a car into more than 50 groups of modules, and the choice of car size, function, attributes and cost is more abundant.
Over the years, we have test-driven Lynk & Co civilian vehicles and found that the CMA architecture is completely not inferior to the sporting foundation of the BBA.
For example, the TCR racing suspension can be modified, but the original geometry needs to be maintained, and the front lip and rear tail of the aerodynamic kit are uniformly designed for the race, plus a budget cap (cost cap). Therefore, the performance of the mass production car directly determines the basis and difficulty of the racing car modification performance.
And you'll find that TCR Racing and the commercially available Lynk & Co 03 have a lot in common, such as a flat chassis covering that reduces eddy currents and air resistance in the narrow area between the body and the ground, allowing the vehicle to adhere well to the ground and provide better grip. There is also the iconic tail diffuser of the Lynk & Co 03, which effectively reduces the upward force caused by the air flow to the tail.
Typically like the first Nürburgring track this year, the total length of 25.378 km "Green Hell" is also the world's most famous test site, usually the vehicle can run well here, indicating that its basic design is very good.
The first race, Lynk & Co, was subject to the most stringent BoP restrictions, weighing a maximum weight of 1325 kg, a body height of 80 mm, and a peak horsepower output reduction to 97.5%. Under such conditions, the two drivers, Müller and Urushya, reached the podium in their first match and won 1 season.
Of course, success is not accidental, and the Lynk & Co team also has a strong combination with four world champion-level drivers. If you're a veteran racing fan, you're sure to know four-time WTCC champion Ivan Muller Yvan Muller, post-80s driver Ted Bjjrk Thed Bjrk, who also won the 2017 WTCC.
Jan Ehrlacher, on the other hand, has won consecutive WTCR drivers' championships in 2020 and 2021. And his uncle was Ivan Mueller.
WTCR shows not only Lynk & Co speed, but also Chinese speed
Although it is said that the car power does not necessarily produce the best drivers, the car power will definitely give birth to excellent racing cars and car brands. China has become an auto power, but to become an auto power, it must show its speed on the international stage.
The world's successful car brands are convinced that the race field is the ultimate battlefield for testing production cars, from Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Renault in F1 to Porsche in weC, as well as Toyota and Ford in WRC. And Lynk & Co is clearly on this path, and it has been very successful.
From winning the championship for the first time in 2019 to winning the team and drivers' double championship in 2020, every season has been moving forward in difficulties. And defending the title again in 2021 not only proves the speed of the Lynk & Co 03 TCR, the comprehensive strength of the team and the drivers, but also allows the world to witness the speed of China.
Based on the success of WTCR, Lynk & Co also actively promotes the development of domestic auto sports culture and establishes China's first complete auto sports culture system from professional drivers to professional players to enthusiasts.
This system is aimed at professional drivers and motor sports enthusiasts.
Professional drivers can choose the "Lynk & Co Auto Challenge", which is the most professional unified specification event for Chinese car brands, and has also become an important link between WTCR and Lynk & Co's driver development plan, and also provides a new event platform for many domestic drivers.
The "Peak Rider Program" for motor sports enthusiasts, taking into account the characteristics of professionalism and fun, also provides participants with a complete advanced mechanism from "car owner" to "driver". This year, the newly completed Lynk & Co Motor Sports Experience Center is a good place for Lynk & Co to communicate with fans.
On the other hand, racing technology feeds back into the mass production car, which also provides users with more and better product experiences. The success of WTCR has propelled Lynk & Co to the world. While the "European Plan" is advancing, the "Asia-Pacific Plan" has landed in Kuwait, and Lynk & Co will also enter the international markets such as the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
That's the allure of racing, and Lynk & Co clearly knows it.