Hyundai Motor raised the winner’s trophy at the global premier touring car event, ‘2023 TCR World Tour’ in Italy, marking its second podium of the year.
The ‘Elantra N TCR’ (known locally as the Avante N TCR) won the third round of the ‘2023 TCR World Tour’ held from June 9 to 11 at the Vallelunga Circuit in Campagnano, Italy.
Continuing its collaboration with ‘BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse’ drivers Mikel Azcona and Norbert Michelisz, who significantly contributed to achieving the overall championship in the drivers’ and teams’ categories of the 2022 WTCR season, Hyundai Motor is maintaining strong performance in the first iteration of the TCR World Tour this year.
Norbert Michelisz, racing in the Elantra N TCR, crossed the finish line first in the first final race held on the 11th, completing the race in 24 minutes, 01 seconds, and 203 milliseconds, securing the victory.
With this victory, Norbert Michelisz earned 30 points, adding to the 15 points gained in the qualifiers and 20 points for finishing fourth in the second final race held the same day, bringing his total to 65 points and securing the top position in the 2023 season driver rankings.
Also competing in the same race car, Mikel Azcona finished second in the first final race with a time of 24 minutes, 01 seconds, and 767 milliseconds, right behind Norbert Michelisz. Azcona also achieved fifth place in the second final race, accumulating a total of 51 points during the event, placing him fourth in the 2023 season driver rankings.
Launched this year following the conclusion of the ‘WTCR (World Touring Car Cup)’ in 2022, the TCR World Tour selects key races from over 200 TCR events held globally, determining rankings based on points accrued from race results.
The top 15 drivers, having garnered significant points across the nine races, will qualify for the ‘TCR World Final’ held at the end of this year or early next year, where the ultimate champion will be determined. The TCR World Tour includes nine races across four continents starting with the opening round in Portugal and featuring events in Belgium, Italy, Hungary, Uruguay, Argentina, Australia, and Macau.
Til Batenberg, Executive Officer of Hyundai Motor’s N Brand & Motorsports Division, expressed, “The TCR World Tour provides a stage to showcase the high-performance vehicle expertise we’ve developed over the years. I’m very pleased that we achieved our second podium; we will continue to work closely with our drivers to secure excellent results in the future.”
Meanwhile, the TCR World Tour is a ‘customer racing’ competition, prohibiting direct participation by manufacturers, as professional racing teams purchase and race manufacturer vehicles. The fourth event of the TCR World Tour is set to take place from June 16 to 18 at the ‘Hungaroring Circuit’ in Hungary.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr