From Ecuador to China: Race car driver Diego Moran's Chinese comeback

Growing up in Ecuador, Diego Moran always dreamt about racing touring cars and fighting for podiums.

But what the Imbabura native never imagined was racing – and winning – in TCR championships at some of the most iconic circuits in Asia.

Moran is currently the sole driver from outside China competing in the 2026 TCR China Touring Car Championship, the premier touring car category in the country.

"It's always good to be back in China," Diego tells CGTN.

"We are really spoiled because we're racing at really top level circuits.

"Shanghai is amazing, of course, this is a Formula One circuit, so it's top class – I never imagined in my life driving in a Formula One circuit." The series visits tracks across China, with stops at Shanghai, Ningbo, Zhengzhou and even Inner Mongolia among the destinations on this year’s calendar.

TCR grids are made up of turbocharged hatchbacks and sedans that are strictly front wheel drive, which creates a unique bumper-to-bumper style of racing with its own loyal fanbase.

"I mean, I am biased when I say this… I love it," Moran says of the TCR category.

"The cars don't have control, it doesn't have ABS, so it's really pure racing, let's say, kind of old school motorsport." Racing with no assists and very minimal aerodynamics means go-for-broke racing that new technology and regulation changes have somewhat eliminated from the bigger, flashier racing categories.

Diego is the first driver from Ecuador to compete in the FIA World Touring Car championship and has clocked up a whopping 12 career wins in TCR.

"First of all, my country is on the other side of the world and we have like 15 million people, so it's very small in terms of size," he explains.

"It's very difficult to come from such a country and such conditions, so to race at the world level is something that I'm really proud of and a dream for me." But to fully explain how the lightning fast South American ended up racing in China, he has to wind back the clock a decade or so.

As Moran tells it, his TCR racing career thus far can be split cleanly into two eras.

The first began in 2017 when he signed with German team Engstler Motorsport to race in the TCR Asia series.