Recuenco brings Mercedes-Benz name back to the Goodyear FIA ETRC, hopeful for strong season
The famous Mercedes-Benz name is back in the Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship thanks to the efforts of Luis Recuenco.
Spaniard Recuenco, 61, has switched to Mercedes-Benz power for 2026, a move that means the German manufacturer will be represented in the Goodyear FIA ETRC for the first time since 2020.
Explaining his change of power for this season, Recuenco said: “I own a transport company, and the [Mercedes-Benz] opportunity was presented to me. I thought it was an interesting proposal, so I decided to get involved. My first impressions were very positive. The truck performed well from the start, and during that initial test session I was already able to set a faster lap time than my best times from the previous season.”
After skipping the Goodyear FIA ETRC season opener at Misano last month, Recuenco was behind the wheel of his all-new Mercedes-Benz when the 2026 season resumed at the Slovakia Ring from 5-7 June. He finished in the top five among the Chrome category contenders in all four races and scored a best overall result of ninth.
“It’s a new truck, so I’m still adapting to it,” Recuenco explained. “The engine has been under development since last year in this championship, when Steffen Faas started using it in his truck. The engine behaves differently from the ones I’ve driven before, particularly in terms of torque and how it recovers speed. So far, the performance has been very good, and I’m really pleased with it. Hopefully, we can build on that and have a strong season.”
Recuenco, who also competes in the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship, finished fifth in the Chrome standings last season and has a firm plan in place for this year. “My goal is to keep improving step by step and to gain a deeper understanding of the truck,” he said. “The idea is to really learn how it behaves in different conditions so I can get the most out of it and extract its full potential.”
Mercedes-Benz was once the dominant force in the FIA European Truck Racing Championship with multiple factory entries and title triumphs commonplace.
“It was a very important and well-known brand years ago, but it’s true that it has lost some recognition in the ETRC over time,” Recuenco said. “Hopefully, people will enjoy seeing the brand back competing again, and it can help bring more visibility to it. It would also be great if this return encourages other drivers and teams to consider using their trucks in the future.”
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Revisit all the races from Slovakia Ring on YouTube. Go to the Sportity app using the password FIA_ETRC_26 for all results and standings. Register to access the new Goodyear FIA ETRC media hub by clicking HERE.
The Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship heads to Germany next when the Nürburgring hosts round three of the 2026 season from 9-12 July. Click HERE for event and ticket information.
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