From damage limitation to WTCC celebration for Michelisz

Norbert Michelisz has spoken about how his WTCC Race of Argentina adventure turned from damage limitation to celebration.

The Hungarian was stuck on the back row of the grid for Sunday’s opening race after a broken wheel prevented him from setting a time in qualifying.

Undeterred, Michelisz charged through from 17th to sixth place, winning the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy in the process aboard his Honda Civic WTCC.

And he was on fighting form again in race two to battle up from 16th to sixth at the flag before being classified seventh following a clash with Ma Qing Hua. And by claiming second-place points in the Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy, the Zengő Motorsport ace holds a three-point advantage over ROAL Motorsport’s Tom Chilton in the category for independent racers.

“After qualifying my plan was to do damage limitation,” the MOL-backed Michelisz explained. “I knew it was going to be difficult in both races. I had a plan for the start and the first three corners and fortunately everything went fine in both races. In the first race I was quite happy with the balance of the car and I think I had a good pace, even catching Gabriele [Tarquini] and Tiago [Monteiro] just slightly. But the distance was too big to get closer. It was an eventful race in the first part and a little bit less in the second part.”

Rounds three and four of the 2015 FIA World Touring Car Championship take place in Morocco from 17-19 April.