BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse all set for Macau Kumho TCR World Tour 2024 finale
• All three BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse drivers head to the season finale in Macau in contention for the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Drivers’ title
• Defending champion Norbert Michelisz is on top of the points prior to the deciding weekend after a strong season aboard his Hyundai Elantra N TCR
• Like Michelisz and Mikel Azcona, Néstor Girolami is ready to rise up to the challenge of the legendary Circuito da Guia street track having narrowly missed out on victory in Zhuzhou last month.
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse drivers Mikel Azcona, Néstor Girolami and Norbert Michelisz are preparing to take on a street circuit ranked as one of the toughest of all when Macau hosts the 2024 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour title showdown from November 14-17.
The Circuito da Guia in the Special Administrative Region of China is an exhilarating 6.120-kilometre test of fast-paced driving precision with racers negotiating a challenging blend of high-speed turns and long straights, plus demanding narrow and undulating wall-lined sections. It’s a track where there simply is no margin for error, making a successful race weekend particularly satisfying but extremely difficult to achieve.
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse is no stranger to success in Macau after it made international motorsport history in 2018 when Gabriele Tarquini – now its Team Manager – secured the inaugural WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup title driving a Hyundai i30 N TCR for the Italian outfit. Having claimed Macau WTCR podiums in 2018 and 2019 before winning the opening TCR World Tour race in 2023 to all but secure last year’s title, Michelisz also has what it takes to shine on the Macanese streets.
Twelve months ago, Michelisz arrived in Macau trailing by a point in the standings. This year he leads the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Drivers’ standings by 10 points after 12 action-packed races in his Hyundai Elantra N TCR, Michelisz knows another successful weekend will go a long way towards making him champion for the second year running. But the Hungarian won’t be taking anything for granted on a track where anything can happen and typically always does.
After winning the opening counter in Zhuzhou last month, Azcona remains in contention for the Drivers’ crown. With a maximum of 75 points up for grabs in Macau, the Spaniard is in fifth place, 27 points behind Michelisz. Girolami is 72 points adrift of Michelisz and although taking the title would be a tall order, a top-three finish is not out of reach for the Argentine.
While Michelisz will benefit from competing with no compensation weight added to his Hyundai Elantra N TCR, Azcona’s results in Zhuzhou means he will carry an additional 30 kilograms.
Team Principal of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Gabriele Rizzo, said: “To enter in the last event of the world title fight is extremely exciting. Doing that with a driver leading the standing and in an iconic event like Macau makes it even more thrilling. It’s the sort of competition you look for all the season and so the motivation and preparation of the team is maximum. With our drivers, playing a role even more important in a so challenge street circuit, we have proven here in the past years to be a winning combination. It will not be definitely easy and here, more than in other circuits, there are events you cannot control and can put you out of contention. We must approach the race weekend with the usual fierce winning mentality. What I will ask to all our staff is to do everything in our power to not have to regret anything at the end of the weekend, whatever will be the final result. If we'll do that, I am convinced it will be yet another success”.
Driver Notes: #196 Mikel Azcona (ESP), Hyundai Elantra N TCR
• Banked his first Kumho FIA TCR World Tour victory of 2024 with an epic wet-weather Zhuzhou drive last month to remain in title contention
• Returns to Macau fifth in the standings having taken two podiums, a win and a pole so far this season
• Spaniard’s Hyundai Elantra N TCR will carry 30 kilograms in compensation weight in Macau
Azcona said: “It will be my third time in Macau and it’s one of those places where you really enjoy driving and going back to. You always have hard fights in Macau so finishing the championship there is not easy, especially because it's a very challenging track. It’s a very high-speed sensation because you get very close to the walls. In some places it’s very narrow, some places very wide so finding the right set-up is really important and also difficult. Qualifying is also really important because 90 per cent of the weekend is about where you qualify on the grid so setting up the car as best as possible will be key. The only negative I see for myself is I will carry 30 kilos of compensation weight in my Hyundai Elantra N TCR based on my good results at Zhuzhou. Macau is one of those places where you don’t want to carry a lot of extra kilos because there is a lot of up and down and it’s a long lap. But I believe I can be fast in these challenging conditions and I know how to defend and survive the challenges. I will do my best to fight for the championship”.
Driver Notes: #129 Néstor Girolami (ARG), Hyundai Elantra N TCR
• Came within a handful of corners of claiming his second victory of the 2024 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour at Zhuzhou, settling instead for second place to keep outside title hopes alive
• Result in China marked his return to the podium for the first time since season-opening Vallelunga race
• Boosted by carrying no compensation weight and having finished runner-up in first Macau race last year
Girolami said: “I have very good memories from Macau from last year when I finished P2 behind Norbi in the first race. Norbi was the reference then, he was P1 in qualifying and did so well to win the world title. I hope to be competitive and help him go for a second title because he’s in the best position to do so. He deserves the title after he did an amazing job all year. But having Mikel also in contention for the title shows the strength of the team. Macau comes at the end of my first season with BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse and my first season driving the Hyundai Elantra N TCR. Despite not knowing the team or the car before the start of the year, to be able to win a race and fight for podiums is something I am very proud of. For sure there is much more to come from me and I hope I can continue to deliver the best possible results for Hyundai in the future, including in Macau”.
Driver Notes: #105 Norbert Michelisz (HUN), Hyundai Elantra N TCR
• With a lead of 10 points in the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Drivers’ standings, Michelisz heads to Macau in the title ascendency
• The defending champion has been a podium visitor four times in 2024 and won the first Macau race last season before landing the coveted crown in Race 2
• With zero compensation weight fitted to his Hyundai Elantra N TCR, Michelisz plans to “push 100 per cent” to make it back-to-back titles
Michelisz said: “I feel well prepared for Macau but we all know that a lot depends on qualifying and a lot depends on if you can survive the first couple of corners after the start. Anything can happen in Macau and while it’s a sentence everyone knows, that’s the reality. It’s a particular street circuit where a small mistake can cost you a big amount of time. For this reason, our focus has to be to push 100 per cent to see where we end up. Even though there is so much at stake with the possibility I can win the title two years in a row in my Hyundai Elantra N TCR, I won’t be changing how I prepare for the event. Until my results change to the downside, I prefer to continue to take it easy and wait and see. In saying that, the strategy in Macau, which is a track I know very well, has to be to push but I also know I need to be smart in certain situations”.
Weekend at a Glance
*Track action begins on Thursday November 14 with Free Practice 1 from 10:15-10:45 local time (GMT +8). Free Practice 2 is next from 13:45-14:15.
*Qualifying 1, which is run for 30 minutes rather than the usual 20, starts at 12:55 on Friday November 15 and is followed by Qualifying Q2 from 13:30-13:45.
*Race 1 is due to get under way at 12:35 on Saturday November 16 and is scheduled for nine laps. The season-deciding Race 2 is timetabled for 10:55 on Sunday November 17, again over a distance of nine laps.
*The Race 1 grid is decided by the Qualifying results. The top 10 from Race 1 line up in reverse order for Race 2.
*In addition to the three BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse drivers, eight other drivers will count on Hyundai power in Macau.