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WTCR - 10 from 10 as Michelisz beats Azcona

10.10.21

WTCR - 2021 Race of Czech Republic - Race 2 report

Norbert Michelisz made it 10 winners from 10 races in the 2021 FIA WTCR – World Touring Car Cup as he beat pole position starter Mikel Azcona in Race 2 at WTCR Race of Czech Republic following a red flag interruption at Autodrom Most.

BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse driver Michelisz took the lead after Azcona was slowed by a big slide as he exited Turn 1, allowing the Hungarian to gain the momentum out of Turn 2. Meanwhile, there was plenty of action behind them.

Just as in Race 1, the field concertinaed at the first corner as the drivers piled in hard on the brakes. After multiple contacts Gabriele Tarquini, Santiago Urrutia – second in the WTCR points coming into the race – Rob Huff and Attila Tassi were all out, with three of the four cars stuck in the gravel traps. The race was stopped to allow the damaged cars to be recovered safely.

The race restarted behind the Honda Civic Type R Limited Edition Safety Car. Michelisz made a strong restart and although Azcona chased him hard and exerted major pressure in his Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición, the Hyundai Elantra N TCR just had enough to claim victory.

“Congrats to Mikel because he didn’t make my life easy,” said Michelisz, who victory was his first since Malaysia in 2019. “After the start I knew I had to go for it and I put in 15 qualifying laps which at this circuit is not easy. Thank you to the team because the car was working great. It is fantastic to win.”

Behind the top two, Esteban Guerrieri got the better of Yann Ehrlacher from the second row at the start, the former claiming his second podium finish of the weekend in his ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic Type R TCR. The Argentine was forced to work tirelessly or his third place as Ehrlacher chased hard, but fourth place allowed the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader to consolidate his advantage at the top of the WTCR points table. He now heads Guerrieri by 20 points.

 

Nathanaël Berthon made up for his Turn 1 retirement in Race 1 by finishing fifth in his Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport entry, ahead of Yvan Muller’s Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 03 TCR. Luca Engstler was seventh in his Engstler Hyundai N Liqui Moly Racing Elantra N TCR, with the Audis of Frédéric Vervisch, Gilles Magnus and Tom Coronel completing the top 10.

 

Wildcard entry Petr Fulín finished P11 in his CUPRA Leon Competición, with Tiago Monteiro (Honda), Bence Boldizs (CUPRA), Jean-Karl Vernay (Hyundai) and Thed Björk (Lynk & Co) also scoring points. But for Vernay, P14 was a poor return when he lost a potential sixth place to a drive-through penalty, incurred for his car not resting on its wheels at the three-minute board before the restart.