The 2019 winner of the series, Norbert Michelisz, whose new teammate will be Mikel Azcona from Spain, who competed in Zengő Motorsport last year, will start this year with Hyundai's racing car this year.
WTCR said Monday that 25-year-old Azcona has joined Hyundai to replace Gabriele Tarquini, who retired at the end of last year, with Michelis, 37, starting his fifth season in the WC series.
The Hungarian rider has been competing in the WTCR since 2010, winning 15 races and placing 55 on the podium. Azcona has won three races in the series since 2019 and has been able to take the podium 12 times.
"I'm happy and honored to be able to start the WTCR with Hyundai again this year. The start of the season is exciting, but it may be even more true now that my teammate will be one of the best riders in the field," Michelisz said in a statement. He added that the Hyundai Elantra N TCR race car is capable of winning and his goal is to be competitive from the first moment and achieve further success with the team.
Michelisz was eighth in the composite last year with 148 points, with Azcona finishing ten points ahead of him.
It was announced on January 14 that Attila Tassi would also continue in the WTCR, unchanged with Honda.
Michelisz and Tassi will be able to compete in front of Hungarian audiences on June 11-12, when the WTCR field will visit the Hungaroring. The season kicks off in the Czech Republic in early April, followed by nine more rounds, closing in the second half of November in Macau.
(Source: autokalauz.co.hu; MTI | Image: pixabay.com)