Geely’s Preface TCR victorious at Kumho FIA TCR World Tour debut

MANILA: The Geely Preface TCR, the front-wheel-drive-only Touring Car Racing version of the brand’s midsize sedan, has won its maiden motorsports outing at the 2026 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour. 

The aforementioned was held at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy, and is the opening race of this year’s Kumho FIA TCR World Tour. With that said, Geely Group’s Cyan racing team’s multiple podium finishes at the said racing series’s stint at Misano represent a huge milestone for the Chinese automotive conglomerate. 

Notably, the Geely-backed team won first and third place in Race 2 and secured a third-place finish in Race 1, even as they faced stiff competition from Honda driver Jenson Brickley of ALM Motorsport and Mikel Azcona of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse. 

At Race 1, Cyan Racing’s Yann Ehrlacher, the defending champion who previously raced using the Lynk & Co 03 TCR for Cyan Racing, secured Geely’s first-ever podium by crossing the finish line in third - a mere 1.7 seconds behind the race winner. 

Later onwards, Cyan Racing’s Ma Qinghua managed to deliver a spectacular Race 2 win by performing an early overtake at race kick-off, as well as a bold move against Brickley on lap six. 

Cyan Racing's Thed Björk also made a third-place finish in Race 2 after starting the race at sixth place on the grid.

“To see Ma Qinghua victorious with the all-new Geely Preface TCR during its debut weekend is a truly historic moment,” Director of Geely Group Motorsport Chen Jun said.

“It is the proud moment for Chinese automotive brands, and the pride of the Chinese people. We will continue to push forward and compete on the world stage and showcase ‘Chinese speed’ on the world stage,” Jun added. 

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Geely Preface TCR: a closer look

Like the Lynk & Co 03 TCR, the new Geely Preface TCR was built by Cyan Racing from the ground up together with Geely Group Motorsport. 

As mentioned above, the Geely Preface TCR is based on the Preface midsize sedan production model, which uses a Volvo-developed 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 gasoline engine paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT). 

The TCR-spec version, however, uses a heavily modified engine capable of producing up to 340 horsepower (hp), per the limitations of the TCR racing series. Notably, the production model of the Preface remains a relatively peppy sedan with up to 238 hp. 

Additionally, the Preface TCR gets one less gear for DCT. It also features Öhlins racing dampers, heavy-duty brakes, a huge rear wing, an aggressively designed body kit, and TCR-spec racing wheels. 

And of course, it includes FIA-required safety equipment, such as a roll cage, racing bucket seats with multi-point harnesses, and a fire suppression system, among others. 

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