Norbert Michelisz is a back-to-back champion of the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour

• Norbert Michelisz wins the 2024 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour for Drivers’ title during Macau’s action-packed season finale, following on from his TCR World Tour success in 2023
• Mikel Azcona completes the Race 1 podium behind Michelisz before going on to secure third in the final standings in the rain-affected Race 2
• Néstor Girolami finishes sixth in the end-of-season ranking after he takes his Hyundai Elantra N TCR to points finishes in both races.

 
Norbert Michelisz is a back-to-back touring car champion after he secured the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Drivers’ title at the wheel of a Hyundai Elantra N TCR in Macau. BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse driver started the season decider on the hugely challenging Circuito da Guia street track leading by 10 points.
 
After finishing second in Race 1 on Saturday, Michelisz lined up for Race 2 with a five-point advantage. When racing eventually got under way on a damp but drying track following a lengthy delay due to heavy rain, the Hungarian drove with utmost caution to lead home a Hyundai Elantra N TCR formation finish in fifth place ahead of team-mates Mikel Azcona and Néstor Girolami.
 
With his closest rival Thed Björk down in eighth place in Race 2, Michelisz completed the season with a table-topping 323 points to take overall honours and follow up on the TCR World Tour crown he won in 2023.
 
It was Michelisz’s second FIA world title after he won the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup in 2019, one year after Gabriele Tarquini, now BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse’s Team Manager, achieved the same feat. As a result, the Italian BRC Racing Team has now celebrated winning five drivers’ championships in seven years, including three in a row with Michelisz’s back-to-back crowns coming after Azcona took the final WTCR titles.  
 
While Michelisz celebrated his latest career achievement, Azcona and Girolami secured third and sixth positions in the final Kumho FIA TCR World Tour standings after both drivers won a race apiece during 2024.
 
Lining up on the Race 1 grid in second, Azcona ceded position to Michelisz on the run to the ultra-tight Lisboa corner when the opening contest, held in dry and sunny conditions, was restarted following an early stoppage after a multi-car collision blocked the track. From there, the Spaniard performed a fine defensive rear guard to allow Michelisz to secure a comfortable runner-up finish and a five-point cushion heading into Race 2.
 
Azcona, a winner at the Zhuzhou International Circuit last month, again demonstrated his speed with the fastest lap on the 6.12-kilometre Circuito da Guia in Race 1. But with his focus firmly on supporting Michelisz’s title pursuit in Race 2, he finished sixth with Girolami seventh after he took the Race 1 chequered flag in fifth. Like his team-mates Azcona and Michelisz, Girolami was a points scorer in all 14 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour races in 2024.
 
After winning the opening race of the season from pole position at Vallelunga in Italy back in April Norbert Michelisz never looked back, holding the points lead at the completion of all six events held prior to the Macau finale. The 40-year-old took a further victory at Interlagos in Brazil in July, finished third in Race 1 at Marrakech in Morocco and came second in the first Mid-Ohio race when the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour stopped off in the USA in early June.
 
Team Principal of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Gabriele Rizzo, said: “We did it again! To grab another Kumho FIA TCR World Tour title here in Macau with Norbi after such an intense weekend of competitions, made though as never here due to the bad weather, is another incredible achievement for all our team. Since the free practices the weather changes made it very difficult to setup our cars as we have experienced all the conditions on all the tyres combinations on the few laps done. We entered in the qualy starting with rain tyres and ending the session on slicks managing many red flags, but we succeeded in our main target that was to put again all three cars in top 10 as forward as possible. Race 1 was very tough but with a perfect strategy and enough speed we put both Norbi and Mikel on the podium. After postponement of Race 2 and the new starting procedure behind safety car, the key moment was the tyre choice. We did it perfectly again, covering our title contenders with Norbi and Mikel on rain tyres and fitting slick tyres on Bebu car. Then all the three drivers delivered another masterclass performance perfectly applying the strategies and instructions from the pitwall to secure 5th-6th-7th positions for Norbi, Mikel and Bebu enough to lock the title. Highest of Race2 were master class driving of Bebu with slicks on wet and damp beginning of the race and the overtake at Lisboa of Mikel on Guerrieri and Erlacher after after having crawled the wall at the Mandarin corner. I am so proud about this further achievement. Congratulations to Norbi for the third TCR World title with us, congratulations to Mikel that finished 3rd in the championship and showing again why he has been champion with us in FIA WTCR 2022, congratulations to Bebu that delivered a solid first season with us and had a key role to grab this further title. Big thanks to all the team, to our sponsors and to Hyundai MotorSport Customer Racing for trusting and supporting us since 2017. We bring home the 5th world drivers' title to the trophy cabinet in Italy on 7 seasons, a record we can't already wait to beat next year. Let’s enjoy these emotions and the celebrations.”   

Driver Notes: #105 Norbert Michelisz (HUN), Hyundai Elantra N TCR

• Charged through from second on the grid to finish runner-up in Race 1
• Starting Race 2 on a damp but drying track on wet-weather tyres, Michelisz adopted a cautious approach to finish ahead of points rival Thed Björk and become TCR World Tour champion two years running 

Michelisz said: “What a beautiful day it has been. I need to say a huge thanks to my team BRC, to Hyundai, to my team-mates Mikel and Néstor because without them I would not be the champion. From the first moment of the season we didn’t put a foot wrong. I scored points in every race, we were doing great team-work in every race and if you have an efficient team you have very good chance to fight for a championship so I’m incredibly thankful to everyone who has supported me. I remember 14 years ago when I won my first race in the FIA World Touring Car Championship here in Macau it was an amazing feeling but to repeat this feeling last year and again this year, I think I’m a very lucky person. For me life is not really about success, it’s very nice to experience success, but in two weeks you will start to think about next season. It’s a constant cycle with stress, with adrenalin, you don’t really remember being a champion on the grid of the first race of next season. I’m just very grateful to be in this position, to race and live my passion and experience these special moments.”
 
Driver Notes: #196 Mikel Azcona (ESP), Hyundai Elantra N TCR

• Ran in second place initially in Race 1 before handing the position to Michelisz, taking third instead
• Started Race 2 fourth in the standings but out-scored Yann Ehrlacher to claim third overall

Azcona said: “It was very challenging conditions with big rain on the track. I had some electrical issues before the start and I was worried about the race. Fortunately, we were able to check and resolve the problem. Starting Race 2 under the safety car after a few hours of waiting in mixed conditions we decided to put wet tyres for me and Norbi and slicks for Néstor to cover what our rivals were doing. My only goal for the second race was to keep Björk behind me and I was able to do this, bring the car home without doing any mistakes and defend Norbi from behind. It was a comfortable race from that point or view. Our target was for Norbi to win the title and I am very happy for him. I am also very happy for the BRC and for Hyundai because it’s three years in a row we have been world champion with the Hyundai Elantra N TCR. After a tough season, finishing P3 in the championship makes me even more happy.”
 
Driver Notes: #129 Néstor Girolami (ARG), Hyundai Elantra N TCR

• Resisted intense pressure from multiple Macau winner Rob Huff to finish Race 1 in fifth place
• Completed BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse’s perfect formation finish with seventh in Race 2

Girolami said: “The first attempt to start Race 2 was impossible because the track conditions were really, really wet, in some parts even rivers were crossing the track. Starting behind the safety car was the right decision but we gambled about by choosing four slick tyres. My job was to provide cover for Norbi but I also let Mikel pass so he could achieve third in the championship, and I totally understand the order from the team. With the slick tyres on a drying track, I had the pace for the victory today but the priority was to secure the Drivers’ title for Norbi, this is what we did and I am very happy for Norbi, for Hyundai and for BRC. The team did an amazing season and the main goal was achieved.”
 
Mikel Azcona’s 2024 season in numbers  1: race win 3: podium finishes 1: pole position 2: fastest laps 295: points scored

Néstor Girolami’s 2024 season in numbers 1: race win 1: podium finish 1: fastest lap 238: points scored

Norbert Michelisz’s 2024 season in numbers 2: race wins 3: podium finishes 1: pole position 1: fastest lap 323: points scored
 
Race 1 results:

1 T. Björk Lynk & Co 03 11 laps in 01:04:29.809

2 N. Michelisz Hyundai Elantra N +1.874s

3 M. Azcona Hyundai Elantra N +2.529s

4 Y. Ehrlacher Lynk & Co 03 +3.442s

5 N. Girolami Hyundai Elantra N +7.016s

6 R. Huff Audi RS 3 LMS +7.807s

7 D. Borkovic Honda Civic Type R FL5 +29.074s

8 M. Cao Hyundai Elantra N +33.002s

9 J. Zhang Lynk & Co 03 +35.105s

10 D. Zhu Lynk & Co 03 +40.957s

 
Race 2 results:

1 D. Borkovic Honda Civic Type R FL5 12 laps in 39:14:582

2 E. Guerrieri Honda Civic Type R FL5 +3.568s

3 M. Butti Honda Civic Type R FL5 +4.108s

4 M. Qing Hua Lynk & Co 03 +6.546s

5 N. Michelisz Hyundai Elantra N +11.007s

6 M. Azcona Hyundai Elantra N +11.314s

7 N. Girolami Hyundai Elantra N +11.486s

8 T. Björk Lynk & Co 03 +11.975s

9 M. Xie Honda Civic Type R FL5 +12.484s

10 Y. Ehrlacher Lynk & Co 03 +14.372s

 
2024 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour for Drivers
After Round 7:

1 N. Michelisz 323

2 T. Björk 312

3 M. Azcona 295

4 E. Guerrieri 291

5 Y. Ehrlacher 287

6 N. Girolami 238

7 S. Urrutia 217

8 M. Q. Hua 215

9 M. Butti 174

10 D. Borkovic 132

 
2024 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour for Teams
After Round 7:

1 Lynk & Co Cyan Racing 735

2 BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse 672

3 GOAT Racing 521

4 Volcano Motorsport 184

5 PMO Racing 64

6 Paladini Racing 28

7 Squadra Martino 20

8 Bryan Herta Autosport 14

9 Lynk & Co Teamwork Racing 14

10 Team Clairet Sport 14