Details of TCR World Tour's Australian swing emerge

It was announced recently that Mount Panorama is the first confirmed circuit for the new-for-2023 World Tour.

The series, which will effectively replace WTCR, will race at the Bathurst International in November, which is expected to be the final round of the World Tour ahead of the World Final back in Europe.

Bathurst will be one of two World Tour races in Australia, with details of the other year to be formally announced.

However Motorsport.com understands the other Aussie race will be a standalone event of sorts in the lead-up to the Bathurst International, rather than fitting in to the current SpeedSeries schedule.

A number of circuits have been floated as potential venues for the first of the two Aussie World Tour rounds, with Sydney Motorsport Park currently considered the favourite.

That would open the door for the racing to take place under lights and in a time slot well suited to the European audience.

Australian Racing Group, which promotes TCR Australia and is expected to have a very hands on role with the local World Tour rounds, is facing a re-shuffle of its schedule thanks to a date clash that was resolved in favour of Supercars.

That means the Sandown round of the SpeedSeries, which was expected to be one of seven TCR Australia rounds, will need to be rescheduled.

Before this latest date twist, TCR Australia was set to race at six of the already announced SpeedSeries rounds – Symmons Plains, a Victorian round that's a TBC, Sydney Motorsport Park, Queensland Raceway, Sandown and the Bathurst International.

The Bathurst 6 Hour at Easter is on the SpeedSeries schedule but wasn't expected to feature TCR Australia as it has done in the past.

The standalone World Tour event would then make for seven TCR Australia rounds.

WSC, the global head of TCR racing, is expected at least 16 cars – four each from Audi, Honda, Hyundai and Lynk & Co – to take part in all nine rounds of the TCR World Tour.

The schedule will feature four rounds in Europe, two in America, one in Asia and the two in Australia, with the World Tour regulars joining domestic competitions along the way.

The best 15 from the World Tour and the top 45 drivers from the TCR World Rankings will then be invited to the World Final.

With World Tour rounds set to be worth more points on the World Ranking, the door will be open for Australian drivers to qualify for the all-in final.