Norbert Michelisz is a back-to-back touring car champion

It’s a case of new season, same result for Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing driver Norbert Michelisz – who is a back-to-back touring car champion after securing the 2024 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour for Drivers’ title in Macau*.

Despite all the potential pitfalls he and BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse faced over the course of the season-ending weekend – from the unforgiving nature of the legendary Circuito da Guia street track to a curveball from the weather gods ahead of Race 2 – Michelisz weathered the storm to clinch a third world touring car crown.

The Hungarian limited his points loss to Thed Björk with a second-place finish in Race 1, meaning any finish ahead of his nearest rival on Sunday would seal the title.

And when Race 2 eventually got under way on a damp but drying track following a lengthy delay due to heavy rain, Michelisz kept his head – ably assisted by support from team-mates Mikel Azcona and Néstor Girolami – with a run to fifth, eventually finishing 11 points ahead of Björk.

It is Michelisz’s second FIA world title after he won the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup in 2019, one year after Gabriele Tarquini, now BRC’s Team Manager, achieved the same feat.

BRC has now won five drivers’ championships in seven years, including three in a row with Michelisz’s back-to-back crowns coming after Azcona took the final WTCR title.

Little wonder, then, that Michelisz described it as a “beautiful day” – before acknowledging the support he’d received along the way.

“I need to say a huge thanks to my team BRC, to Hyundai, to my team-mates Mikel and Néstor because without them I would not be the champion,” said the 40-year-old, who was never headed in the points standings in 2024. “From the first moment of the season we didn’t put a foot wrong.”

While Michelisz celebrated his latest career achievement, Azcona and Girolami secured third and sixth positions in the Drivers’ standings after winning a race apiece during 2024. Like Michelisz, Azcona and Girolami scored points in all 14 races this season – underlining the reliability of the Hyundai N Elantra N TCR.

There was more Hyundai-powered success when Martin Cao clinched the TCR China title within the same race driving a Hyundai Elantra N TCR. Cao briefly led Race 2 to round out an impressive season.

*All results subject to final FIA confirmation