The 2018 racing season came to a close with a magnificent victory in Macau, but Augusto Farfus is already fully focusing on next year. 2019 will be another exciting and busy season for the BMW works driver from Curitiba. For his main programme, Farfus will race the BMW M8 GTE in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) and contest numerous international GT highlights with BMW. In addition, he will return to the world of touring car racing, competing in the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR).
In the FIA WEC, Farfus shares duties with Portuguese António Félix da Costa in the BMW M8 GTE entered by BMW Team MTEK. The 2018/19 Super Season resumes in March at Sebring in Florida, with the highlight, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, taking place in June. His stellar GT racing programme with BMW is completed by classics such as the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife – the legendary event that Farfus won in 2010.
In addition to his comprehensive activities as BMW works driver, Farfus will make a spectacular return to the international touring car scene. The Brazilian competed in the FIA World Touring Car Championship (FIA WTCC) from 2005 to 2010 – in the 2007 to 2010 seasons together with BMW. This year, the WTCC merged with the TCR Series to form the new FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR). In 2019, Farfus will compete in this series within a team of familiar faces. His team-mates will be Italian Gabriele Tarquini, Dutchman Nick Catsburg and Norbert Michelisz from Hungary. The private team will enter Hyundai customer racing cars. As BMW is not racing in WTCR, Farfus got the green light from Munich to compete in the series in a customer racing car from a different manufacturer.
“I am more than excited about 2019,” said Farfus. “My main programme will be with BMW in the WEC and in international GT races. I just love GT racing and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the BMW M8 GTE and the BMW M6 GT3. Our goal for WEC is to continue the upward trend and to get our first win soon. I’m also looking forward to returning to the Nürburgring-Nordschleife that has become kind of a second home for me in the past years. Another success in the ‘Green Hell’ is what we want to achieve in 2019.”
“I’m also looking forward to returning to the international touring car scene – and I am very thankful to BMW that they are allowing me to do a secondary programme in the WTCR,” Farfus continued. “I have fond memories of my time in the WTCC; that’s where it all started and I am sure that it will be a great season.”
