Race preview: Home stars Hungary for WTCR action 03.06.2022: WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup Hungaroring, Hungary June 11-12th, 2022 - Leading local racers Michelisz, Nagy and Tassi in the hunt for Hungaroring highs - Sixteen race winners representing 11 countries

WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup
Hungaroring, Hungary
June 11-12th, 2022

- Leading local racers Michelisz, Nagy and Tassi in the hunt for Hungaroring highs

- Sixteen race winners representing 11 countries on track at venue close to Budapest

- Cars from Audi, CUPRA, Honda, Hyundai and Lynk & Co to thrill fans

- Girolami the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader following season-opening victory from pole

- Huff tops WTCR Trophy order for Hungarian squad Zengő Motorsport




Hopes of Hungarian success in the WTCR − FIA World Touring Car Cup will rest on the shoulders of three star drivers when the series visits the Hungaroring next weekend (June 11-12).



Norbert Michelisz, the 2019 King of WTCR, joins rising talents Dániel Nagy and Attila Tassi in flying the Magyarország zászlaja at the 4.381-kilometre valley of speed, built for the 1986 Hungarian Grand Prix and a WTCR mainstay since the series was launched in 2018.



Michelisz, 37, is the elder statesmen of the trio, but his speed and desire have never been in question. Nagy, 24, had braced himself for a season on the sidelines until a phone call from Zoltán Zengő, the revered Hungarian talent-backer and team boss who gave Michelisz his big break back in 2005, handed him a late deal to contest a full WTCR season for the first time. Tassi, meanwhile, is the young gun of the group, albeit just two years Nagy’s junior.



Like Michelisz, Tassi is a WTCR race winner and lists a victory at the Hungaroring on his flourishing CV to boot. But their respective attempts to increase their WTCR winning were thwarted at the season-opening WTCR Clean Fuels for All Race of France last month when they collided within metres of charging off from the front row of the Race 2 grid.



Reflecting on the incident, Tassi, who drives a Honda Civic Type R TCR for LIQUI MOLY Team Engstler, said: “The past is the past, it’s happened and we go forward, fighting harder for better results. Immediately after the incident Norbi came to me and apologised.



Obviously it doesn’t bring back the results and the points but we both lost. That’s racing, obviously we are good friends, I’ve raced in his team and we’ve known each other for so long so I never had a doubt we won’t speak again. But it happened, it was unlucky, he made a mistake, he didn’t see me, it’s in the game, it’s just a pity we both got into it and it was him and me.”



BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse driver Michelisz was quick to hold his hands up for the clash of the countrymen, adding: “Unfortunately, I made a mistake. My start was average, I started to turn for Turn 1 and we touched. It was unfortunate. It was not the way to start the season. You need to learn from mistakes that you make.”



For his part in the incident Michelisz will line up for Race 1 at the Hungaroring with a six-place grid penalty. Ordinarily a reason for pessimism but the Hyundai Elantra N TCR-driving Michelisz is keen to remain positive. “It’s really something I would want to avoid but, in the end, I don’t know how much it will affect my race weekend. I am sure Race 1 will be very tricky because of this but many things can happen. It’s unfortunate and I am really sad but I will still try to do my best. I hope to take a home win but many things will need to come together.”



Nagy has yet to transfer his big potential into a WTCR race victory, but he did come close when he took part as a wildcard in 2018. Back then, Nagy pushed current team-mate Rob Huff for top spot, eventually taking second place for the M1RA team, which was actually co-founded by Michelisz.



“It’s funny because I was fighting with Rob a couple of years ago for the race victory when I was a wildcard driver,” said Nagy, whose first visits to the Hungaroring were as a fan in the grandstands. “I know the circuit and I was normally performing well there so I just want to enjoy it and chase that first victory which won’t be easy because the level is so, so high and it will be challenging.”





HUFF HOLDS WTCR TROPHY ADVANTAGE AT ‘HOME’ RACE


CUPRA-powered Rob Huff, the winner of the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Championship, heads the provisional WTCR Trophy standings for home team Zengő Motorsport.


The category for independent racers with no financial backing from a manufacturer, was introduced in 2020 and lists Jean-Karl Vernay and Gilles Magnus as its title winners. Huff won the category in Race 2 at WTCR Clean Fuels for All Race of France after Mehdi Bennani had triumphed in the opening counter for Comtoyou Team Audi Sport.





THE WTCR IN SHORT



The WTCR, which is broadcast in more than 185 countries, is the pinnacle of customer touring car racing and sits at the top of the TCR category ladder. Evolving from the FIA World Touring Car Championship, the WTCR is administered by the FIA and promoted by Discovery Sports Events.



Five car brands, Audi, CUPRA, Honda, Hyundai and Lynk & Co, are represented through their customer racing departments, while eight teams, all using Goodyear tyres and sustainable fuel from German company P1 Racing Fuels have signed up to pursue more FIA World Touring Car gold in 2022.



As well as coveted FIA world titles for drivers and teams, independent racers with no financial backing from a manufacturer are eligible for the WTCR Trophy. Meanwhile, a Balance of Performance formula helps to maintain a level playing field. Engine power is capped at 360bhp with speeds reaching 260kph.



The Goodyear #FollowTheLeader recognises the driver at the head of the standings after each qualifying session or race. They wear the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader jacket and carry the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader yellow windscreen strip on their car until such time that they no longer top the points classification.





 Richard Rodgers, photos WTCR