Preview: Round 1 – Misano

Mikel Azcona and Norbert Michelisz head to Misano World Circuit in Italy this week (May 8-10) ready to push for more Kumho FIA TCR World Tour success with Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing supporting their efforts every step of the way.

The BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse drivers begin their 2026 campaigns determined to hit back from a challenging 2025 season, boosted by a successful winter testing programme. While BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse and the Hyundai Elantra N EV TCR will be familiar to Azcona and Michelisz, Misano World Circuit represents unchartered territory in competition mode for the pair. 

Added to the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour schedule in place of the planned season opener in Mexico City, Misano World Circuit is new to the series for 2026. Located within easy reach of the Adriatic Riviera, the track’s 4.226-kilometre layout is a combination of medium-length straights, technical braking zones and slow and fast corners.

Misano World Circuit is one of eight venues included on the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour calendar for 2026 with visits to Spain, France, Portugal, South Korea and China also scheduled between May and November. It’s also one of three Kumho FIA TCR World Tour weekends featuring two 60-kilometre races this season, which converts to 15 laps at the Italian track. A 30-minute practice followed by the usual two-part qualifying, Qualifying Q1 and Qualifying Q2, have also been timetabled. 

Once again, the fastest 12 drivers in Q1 progress to Q2. The results of qualifying will then be used to determine the starting grid for Race 1 and Race 2, although the top 10 positions for Race 2 will be in reverse of the Q2 order. For 2026, the driver setting the fastest lap in Race 1 will be promoted one position on the grid for Race 2.

The upcoming season represents a big opportunity for Azcona, Michelisz and BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse.  Azcona, a 29-year-old from Spain, is bidding for his first Kumho FIA TCR World Tour title having previously won the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup with Hyundai power in 2022. For Michelisz, a third Kumho FIA TCR World Tour crown is the target after the 41-year-old Hungarian took back-to-back titles between 2023 and 2024. BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, which is based in Cherasco, 450 kilometres from Misano World Circuit, is chasing its first Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Teams’ trophy.

Although Azcona and Michelisz will enjoy the undivided attention of their team at Misano, a third BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse entry has been registered for Italian Gabriele Covini. The recently turned 21-year-old competes for BRC Racing Team in the TCR Europe Touring Car Series and will use the Misano event – plus round two at Valenica in Spain next month – to build his experience behind the wheel of an Elantra N TCR at international level. His previous knowledge of Misano World Circuit will be a useful asset during his Kumho FIA TCR World Tour debut.

Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Benoît Nogier said: “We start the 2026 season both optimistic and realistic. Optimistic because we have two of the strongest drivers on the grid in Mikel and Norbi and a great team in BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse. The optimism has also been fuelled by successful testing in readiness for the new campaign, and a firm belief that the Elantra N EV TCR will be competitive. But we also must be realistic. Given the high level of competition we will face, it’s important to stay grounded to ensure there’s no drop-off in focus with every effort needing to be made to maximise our potential in our pursuit of more success.”

Driver Notes: #196 Mikel Azcona (ESP), Hyundai Elantra N EV TCR

• Spaniard lines up for his fifth season in BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse colours eager to improve on his ninth place in the final 2025 standings
• Misano World Circuit serves as a mission of discovery for the 29-year-old, who has never raced at the venue before but tested successfully in early spring
• Azcona has yet to win the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour crown but is a multiple race winner in the series and remains one of the fastest drivers on the grid
   

Azcona said: “Misano was a new track for me so the two days of testing we did was a good experience. I felt competitive, and I found the limits pretty early. The qualifying pace seemed very fast, and the race pace was also something positive. The track has a mix of different corners, slow speed where you need to have a very agile car, and also really high-speed corners that you really need stability for. You really need a big compromise with the set-up of the car to have a good stability at high speed, but also a good rotation on slower speed corners. It’s not easy for the set-up and it’s going to be very demanding for the front-left tyre. There are also some strong kerbs that can damage the tyre, which is something to be aware of. But the track is fun to drive, and, with many overtaking areas, it will be a good challenge. The high-speed sections should suit our Hyundai Elantra N TCR, which is very strong so where we can make the difference in these areas, especially the last sector. The triple-right corner is taken at 240kph, but our car was stable, fast and strong in testing.”

Driver Notes: #105 Norbert Michelisz (HUN), Hyundai Elantra N EV TCR

• No driver has won the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour more times than Michelisz, a double title winner following silverware in 2023 and 2024
• The Hungarian, a Misano rookie, is preparing for his ninth season driving for BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, whom he joined for the 2018 WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup season
• Michelisz claimed two race wins in the 2025 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour to finish one position ahead of team-mate Azcona in the final standings
   

Michelisz said: “We did a two-day test at Misano, a new circuit for me. We did qualifying runs and long runs, exploring set-up solutions. You have long corners, long double apex corners and fast corners where I’m quite sure we have the strongest car. Sometimes in the slow corners we were not as competitive and, in Misano, you have a good mix of medium-speed, high-speed and slow-speed corners. But, based on the improvements we’ve done, we’ve corrected some of the weak points from previous seasons and I feel we are in a position where we can aim for race wins from the start of the season. Misano is flat so you don’t have a lot of elevation changes, you don’t have blind corners and it’s quite easy to find the right reference points for braking. But, on the other hand, you have very tricky corners with double apexes. Many times you need to brake already with some lateral load, which makes it very unpredictable, so you need to have a lot of confidence in the car to be fast in Misano. Although the circuit looks easy, it’s not easy. It’s technical but it’s a circuit I like and I’m happy to start the season in Misano.” 

Weekend at a Glance

• Free Practice is up first for the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour drivers with the 30-minute session due to get under way at 12:15 local time on Friday May 8.
• Qualifying Q1 is next and runs for 20 minutes from 08:30-08:50 on Saturday May 9 followed by Qualifying Q2 for 10 minutes from 08:57-09:07.
• Race 1 is scheduled over 15 laps from 16:20 on Saturday. Race 2, which is also scheduled for 15 laps, is timetabled from 11:05 on Sunday May 10.