By Mick Palmer

The 2025 TCR World Tour calendar has been released, and once again a UK round will not feature as a part of the championship.

As previously reported by Touring Car Magazine a visit to Britian was scheduled for next year, with it being confirmed that the previously rumoured Donington round was not a part of the original plan.

This week it was confirmed that the intended British round for the World Tour would have seen the international TCR competition joining the TCR UK championship at Oulton Park on Saturday July 5^th. TCR UK teams were originally informed at a Silverstone meeting of the plan.

In a letter seen by Touring Car Magazine the change of schedule, and loss of a UK round is down to a ‘breakdown in the relationship between TCR Series and MSUK.’

TCR UK entrants had been gearing up to face-off against the international contingent at the Cheshire circuit, but the event appears to be a victim of a dispute between Motorsport UK and World Sporting Consulting (WSC) – the rights and Intellectual Property holder of the TCR regulations.

When approached about the change of calendar – with a number of people within the TCR UK community being caught off guard by the release by WSC – TCR UK Championship Manager Jack Finlan could only say: “That’s not between us and Motorsport UK.”

The optics of the situation appear to suggest that this is part of the ongoing WSC/TCR Homologation/Blacklist story which will see TCR cars running outside of official sanctioned events being blacklisted from TCR competition.

No response has yet arrived from WSC after TC Mag approached them for comment regarding the Oulton Park round on Thursday.

The fallout appears to be linked to the launch of the URC Touring Car Championship for Modern Touring Cars – the new for 2025 UK Touring Car Championship whose regulations are open to two litre Touring Cars built post 2011. The two prominent types of car within that catchment are TCR cars and ex BTCC NGTC machines (with those regulations launching in 2011.)

TC Mag approached Motorsport UK to ask if the granting of a rival Touring Car license to URC played a part in the decision for the removal of the Oulton Park World Tour round by WSC, alongside an enquiry as to what Motorsport UK was doing to help TCR car owners who might find their cars ‘blacklisted.’

The UK governing body did not answer the enquiries about the TCR World Tour, or if they are working to help TCR car owners running outside of TCR competition. They sent this statement in response.

“Motorsport UK wishes to clarify its Championship Approval process, as outlined in Section W of the National Competition Rules (NCR).

For the Race discipline, Motorsport UK operates a notice of intent process, with recommendations provided by Championship Control Panel who consider key factors to ensure the safety, regulatory conformity and fairness of motorsport in the UK.

It is important to note, financial or commercial detriment to private legal entities, including as a result of alleged third-party intellectual property (IP) infringements, is not considered by the Championship Control Panel, nor is it a statutory or regulatory responsibility of the UK Governing Body.

Clubs and Organisers are responsible for ensuring their activities do not infringe any third-party IP rights. Any legal challenges or disputes arising from such issues are private matters beyond the remit of Motorsport UK and its Championship Control Panel.

In the event of disputes between Championship Organisers, Motorsport UK, as the independent governing body, remains committed to neutrally supporting all parties to find agreeable solutions to ensure the sport continues to operate in a fair, inclusive and enjoyable manner.”

Part of the dispute between WSC and championships using TCR cars without a license is also connected to promotion via IP. WSC is trying to halt any connection that might infer that ‘unofficial’ championships containing TCR imagery in their online or print presence of ‘unofficial’ competitions has been approved by WSC.

On December 2^nd Motorsport UK provided a clarification to regulation (referred to in the statement) Chapter 4, 1.8, to ensure that they are disconnected from IP infringement, and to warn potential championships to remain compliant with IP law stating that: “The Organisers are solely responsible for ensuring that they are not infringing any third party intellectual property rights. The ASN shall accept no liability for any such infringement.”

URC are offering to pay the entry fee to the 2026 FIA Motorsport Games for TCR machinery from their series if certain criteria is met – as a representative of Motorsport UK. WSC could only provide ‘No Comment’ when asked if the inclusion of the entry was problematic with the FIA event being a prominent TCR competition.

With an Oulton Park round absent from the World Tour schedule the eight-round TCR World Tour will now feature races in Mexico, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Australia, South Korea, China and Macau.

Donington Park appears to have been a consideration for a TCR Europe round this summer, but the championship recently confirmed a six-round calendar with no UK date. The European series will race on five circuits used by Formula One over the last few seasons, plus a round at Misano.

For the TCR UK competitors there is something that the championship has up its sleeve in an attempt to compensate for being caught in the crossfire. Championship Manager Finlan said: “There’s something planned to give back with the disappointment of the World Tour not coming. We’ve got something in place to put forward. It’s going to be a bit of an attraction to them (the teams.) That gap will remain as a summer break and the championship will still be seven rounds, but we’re looking to add things all the time. We’re looking to give customers the best possible value for money.”

The news that the Oulton Park round has been canned once again leaves British fans as having the biggest loss. Once again, they are missing yet another World Championship level Touring Car race in the country due to political disagreements. The last UK round of an international Touring Car championship that was held in Britain was the Donington Park round of the 2011 World Touring Car Championship.