TCR / 08 March 2024

Marco Butti joins GOAT Racing in KUMHO FIA TCR World Tour with Civic Type R TCR

GOAT Racing have signed rising Italian star Marco Butti as the first of its two drivers for the upcoming KUMHO FIA TCR World Tour to race the JAS Motorsport-built Honda Civic Type R TCR.

Butti, 18, will race one of the brand-new team's pair of Civics in the seven-round series that covers five continents this year.

The Como driver was just 16 when he first raced a TCR car in 2021 but rapidly made a name for himself by stepping up to TCR Europe for a selected programme of events the following season and setting the fastest lap on only his second weekend.

His progress continued last year: winning TCR Italy's Under-25s title and taking three overall race victories on his way to fourth in the standings.

He also ran competitively in his two TCR World Tour appearances, recording top-10 finishes at both Vallelunga and Macau.

Butti drove the Honda for the first time in testing at Motorland Aragon this week for Barcelona-based GOAT Racing, which has been newly-created by TCR racer Ruben Fernandez Gil and his family.

Marco Butti said: "I am very excited to join GOAT Racing and to compete in the TCR World Tour full-time. The test in the Honda went very well and I think we can achieve some good results, despite the extremely high level of competition in the World Tour. I would like to thank my father, the Fernandez family and Pepe Oriola for this opportunity plus Mads Fischer and JAS Motorsport for believing in my abilities. I can't wait for the first race of this new challenge."

Pepe Oriola, GOAT Racing Team Manager, said: "We're very happy to have Marco on board for this new project. We were very impressed with the maturity and speed he showed during his first test and believe we can really grow together and show the world what we're capable of. Marco is young, but he already has a good amount of experience in TCR. With the potential he's shown so far plus the tools we can give him, we are confident he is ready to deliver on the world stage."

Mads Fischer, JAS Motorsport TCR Project Leader, said: "We have seen many young drivers use the Honda Civic Type R TCR as their springboard to success over the past few years and with the ambition shown by GOAT Racing in the TCR World Tour, we are sure Marco can be the latest racer to do this. He's raced impressively last year in TCR Italy, was not over-awed when he stepped up to world level and has the right mindset to have a successful year and career."