Review: Round 7 - Zhejiang

Mikel Azcona and Norbert Michelisz combined to hand Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing two sensational 1-2 finishes at the Zhejiang Circuit in China to head to the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour season showdown in Macau next month first and second in the Drivers’ standings.

Azcona led Michelisz home in the rain-hit opening race on Saturday before he took a fifth win of the year in the mainly dry Race 3 on Sunday, maintaining his pursuit of the 2026 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour title in the process.
 
On both occasions, Michelisz started from pole position. Although he wasn’t able to convert either pole into a race victory, he excelled by charging back from fifth to the runner-up spot in Race 1 and then delivered the ultimate defensive drive in Race 3, protecting his team-mate from any attacks from behind and moving up from third to second in the Drivers’ ranking.

His efforts secured a second highly impressive 1-2 finish for BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse to complete a memorable Kumho FIA TCR World Tour China double-header for the team.
 
While Spaniard Azcona carried 20 kilograms of Compensation Weight in Zhejiang, Michelisz had the luxury of competing without any additional weight.
 
The Hungarian also impressed in Race 2 by battling through the pack to finish second from ninth on the grid with another sensational wet-weather showing in his Hyundai Elantra N TCR. 
 
Points scored for claiming his first pole position of the season and for finishing second in Race 1 and Race 2 earned him pole for Race 3.
 
But it’s Azcona who will head to the Macau season showdown in the ascendency with an advantage of 33 points over Michelisz and 39 over Santiago Urrutia.
 
Meanwhile, Hong Kong driver Lo Sze Ho took Guest Star Trophy honours in all three races driving a Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Evolve Racing.
 
The 2026 Kumho TCR World Tour makes its final stop of the year on the streets of Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, with the legendary Guia Circuit hosting the season decider from November 19-22.
 
Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing Manager Benoît Nogier said: 

This was another incredible weekend for Mikel, Norbi and BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, who all worked so hard and achieved so much in challenging circumstances due to the changeable weather conditions. I can only admire what Mikel and Norbi achieved on track. They demonstrated great determination, completed several impressive overtakes and really maximised the performance of the Hyundai Elantra N TCR. It means we head to Macau with the Drivers’ title to lose so we must keep pushing. Macau is a hugely challenging track, any mistake can have big consequences, so it requires full focus from start to finish.

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

• Azcona excelled in the rain to win Race 1 from second on the grid after early overtake on team-mate Michelisz
• Decision to fit dry-weather tyres to the front of his Hyundai Elantra N TCR for Race 2 proved less successful and left the Spaniard in 14th place at the finish
• He made amends in Race 3 by hunting down and passing rival Urrutia for his fifth victory of 2026.

Azcona said: “We started Saturday in a very positive way, P1 and P2 in qualifying, Norbi on pole and I was P2. It was a tricky one with the wet conditions but P2 meant good points. Norbi let me go inside in the first corner of Race 1 and that was the key of the race. But thanks also to the team for this great team job. After a super-nice qualifying being on the first row of the grid, we did the maximum in Race 1 with P1 and P2. It was an amazing day, my Hyundai Elantra N TCR was brilliant, the track was getting drier and drier, so I had to really find the wet places to cool down the front tyres. Race 2 was a really tough one. I started P10 on the reverse grid, but we definitely went for the wrong tyre choice. We put slicks on the front expecting dry conditions at the end, which never came, so definitely a mistake from our side. Starting P4 I was super-happy for the Race 3 victory. It wasn’t an easy one, but the car was super-good again. I was not sure if I could go for a win and, to be honest, I didn’t want to risk that much. But after the safety car Santi did a small mistake on T16 and went to the astroturf on braking and then I saw the opportunity. I moved to the inside and went for the position. Thanks to Norbi for the protection, it’s a good feeling to be going to Macau leading the championship having won the last race of the weekend here in China.”
 

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

• Michelisz made the perfect start to his weekend by claiming his first pole position of the season to help secure a Hyundai-powered front-row lockout for Race 1 alongside team-mate Azcona
• After dropping to fifth, the Hungarian fought back to finish Race 1 in second place
• He charged through from ninth to second in the rain of Race 2 and then delivered the ultimate defensive performance to finish runner-up in the final race of the weekend and move to second in the standings.

Michelisz said: “The first pole position of the season felt fantastic and was very important for the team, especially because we were 1-2 with Mikel. It was super-difficult conditions in qualifying with all the rain. Nevertheless, I managed to do a very clean lap, hitting the apexes, not over-pushing and I think that was the key to the pole position. The start of Race 1 was good, we were side by side with Mikel in the first corner. I did my best to leave him some space to have the good line for T2. Then I had a big hit on my left rear and thought my car had some damage. I did my best to defend but in the first couple of corners I lost some places. Nevertheless, I managed to come back to P2, which I was incredibly happy about. My Hyundai Elantra N TCR was fantastic. I started P9 and I finished P2 in Race 2, so I was super-happy with the result. I did a lot of overtakes and it wasn’t easy but, nevertheless, we collected a lot of good points so I started Race 3 from P1. It was a very busy race. I finished P2 and I’m very happy about the points and for Mikel, who won the race. But it was probably one of the toughest races of my career. I did my best to defend to protect him, that was the target before the race. It was a proper fight from lap one to the end. I’m very happy and very proud. The team did an amazing job, and the car was working flawless so it could not have been much better than that.”