Azcona vittoriosio in gara 1 alla WTCR Race of Hungary
BRC Racing Team added a second victory to its tally this weekend (June 11-12) with a first-place finish for Mikel Azcona at the Race of Hungary, the third round of the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup season.
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse driver Mikel Azcona led the pack from the first moments of Race 1, having qualified on pole position at the Hungaroring on Saturday. Despite pressure from behind throughout the race, the Spaniard kept his Hyundai Elantra N TCR ahead to take the victory - his second trip to the top step this season.
His team-mate, home hero Norbert Michelisz, showed good pace throughout the weekend and secured himself a second row start on the reverse-grid Race 2. In Race 1 he battled hard to make up positions after dropping down in the opening laps, but ultimately struggled with straight line speed and was unable to make further progress up the field, finishing 12th.
A consistent performance in Race 2 saw both Michelisz and Azcona finish in points-scoring positions in fourth and eighth respectively, as there proved little opportunity to overtake.
Following the weekend in Hungary, in which Azcona claimed extra points in qualifying, both drivers have progressed in the title fight. Azcona now leads the standings in first place while Michelisz moves from 16th to 11th. BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse moves back into second in the teams’ standings.
Team Principal of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse Gabriele Rizzo said: “It was a great weekend overall at WTCR Race of Hungary. We secured pole position on Saturday and took our second victory of the season with Mikel in Race 1. I’m happy with the work of the team, the drivers, and the Hyundai Elantra N TCR. But we are also concerned looking at the next events, as we were the slowest car on the straight-line speed against our competitors that were carrying much more weight due to BOP and compensation weight. We did not see this so clearly on a circuit like Circuit de Pau-Ville because of its characteristics. It is clear that the only way we can score good points is to get on the front row during the gambling of compensation weight management in qualifying and having a clean run in the race when starting from the front row. Let’s see if the BOP will change in the near future.”
Mikel Azcona said: “It’s been a fantastic weekend here in Hungary; to get pole position and then win Race 1 is a great feeling. I’m pleased for the team as they are working hard every single day and we have scored some good points for the championship. I was happy with the performance of the car during the weekend, but during Race 2 the car in front was much faster in a straight line. There were not many chances to overtake, and I didn’t want to risk the car. Hungary has been a good experience for the next round, which I am looking forward to as it will be my turn to race in front of home fans.”
Norbert Michelisz said: “Race of Hungary was a good weekend for me, I scored important points because I have to play catch-up in the championship, so I am happy about that. It was a special event, being my home race. The atmosphere was fantastic, and it will give me memories for the future. We struggled a bit because the car balance was good in the corners and under braking, but we lacked speed on the straight. It is very difficult to fight with other cars like this. You could see in the races we were not very competitive as soon as we arrived at higher speeds, and this makes it very tricky to defend or attack. For now, we must celebrate the positives of the weekend, and from tomorrow I think it’s a push to make the car faster for the following rounds.”
The next race of the 2022 WTCR season, Race of Spain, takes place on June 25-26.