Experienced sports car and touring car racer Andrea Belicchi will join the TCR Europe organisation as an advisor to the stewards on driving standards from this weekend at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

The 49-year-old Italian is primarily known for his career in prototype and GT racing, but had a short spell in touring cars, more specifically right at the birth of TCR in 2015, when he raced with championship-winning team Target Competition. In his first season, Belicchi picked up five podiums including a victory at the Shanghai International Circuit in the SEAT León Cup Racer.

Belicchi was then involved in the development programme of the Opel Astra TCR in 2016, before making one final touring car outing at the Guia Race of Macau later that year, driving for Mulsanne Racing in its Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR, scoring a pair of top-ten finishes at the challenging East Asian street circuit.

With the grid reaching 30 cars, and with growing interest in the category, the series promoter has decided to help bolster the stewarding team with the support of an experienced driving standards advisor from this weekend.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” said Belicchi. “The series is very professional and I love TCR racing. Of course I also have a lot of experience in touring car racing, and GTs and prototypes, and I think I can help.

“Monza is a circuit where there can be a lot of contact, at the first chicane, and also since there is the long straight with the slipstream, I think it’s probably one of the worst circuits for accidents, so I think that’s why I’ve got the job this weekend!”