Nicky Catsburg faces the prospect of being without a ride in touring cars since receiving news of LADA SPORT ROSNEFT intention to cease its FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) programme at the end of the current season.
Catsburg made his touring car debut with LADA SPORT in the Russian round of the 2015 WTCC and has contested 36 races to date.
The Dutch racer was quick to make an impression and most notably led home a LADA SPORT one-two on the manufacturer’s home soil at Moscow Raceway earlier this year after racing his Vesta TC1 to four additional podium finishes.
Catsburg’s raw speed and ability prompted LADA SPORT to extend his contract into 2017, but a surprising about-turn by the Russian manufacturer, which currently lies third in the WTCC Teams’ Trophy, has left him out in the cold.
His association with LADA will subsequently conclude with the WTCC finale in Qatar later this month (23-25 November), just days after he spearheads BMW’s factory assault on the second FIA GT World Cup event at the Macau Grand Prix (17-20 November).
However, Catsburg has already been released by LADA SPORT to pursue new opportunities with other teams in touring cars and beyond that will complement his exciting GT programme.
Naturally disappointed, Catsburg said: “I had planned and agreed to extend my relationship with LADA SPORT ROSNEFT through into the 2017 FIA World Touring Car Championship, despite receiving other offers. I’m disappointed that my association with the brand will be cut short, given what we have come so far and achieved so much with the LADA Vesta, the highlight being the one-two in front of LADA’s home crowd in Russia. I am effectively a free agent, so I’m going to regroup and look for other opportunities within the WTCC and in other categories.”