Aggressive Team Italia has announced that Nicola Baldan will drive for the team at the opening event of the 2023 TCR Europe season at Portimão. Baldan, who finished in seventh place in the TCR Europe Drivers’ championship last year, will partner Swedish driver Mikael Karlsson in the second of the team’s two Hyundai Elantra N cars.

The team’s announcement that Baldan will drive at both Portimão and the second event of the season in Pau comes after a successful weekend at the opening event of TCR Italy in Imola. Hungary’s Levente Losonczy recorded a podium finish for the team in Italy, but the announcement means the 19-year-old will give up his seat for Baldan in both Portugal and France.

Nicola Baldan said: “I’m really happy to be at the start for the second consecutive year of TCR Europe; this was my goal and thanks to Aggressive Team Italia I managed to achive it. I thank Mauro Guastamacchia and all those who made this agreement possible. I will try to give 110% in the hope that good results can contribute to an extension of the collaboration also for the future. I already went very fast in Portimão last year, despite not knowing the track. Starting without testing will be a great unknown, but I know the car having already competed with it last year and so I am very confident we will be able to be competitive right from the start.”

Aggressive Team Italia Team Principal Mauro Guastamacchia added: “We are pleased to be able to give this opportunity to Nicola Baldan, whom we consider a fast and expert driver, who will certainly be able to help us in our growth path in this initial phase of the championship. For us, it will be the first complete adventure in TCR Europe, given that last year we made our debut with Pepe Oriola in the second half of the season: we have all the resources needed to be able to do well, and from this point of view we believe we have made an excellent choice.”