Maturity helping Norbert Michelisz to repeat TCR World Tour titles
Back-to-back champion Norbert Michelisz has admitted to feeling the intense pressure of the 2024 FIA TCR World Tour title fight, but says a more mature approach ultimately helped him control his emotions en route to a second consecutive crown.
Michelisz featured in a tense showdown with Thed Björk for the 2024 title in a dramatic season-finale in Macau, as changeable weather affected the event and postponed the start of Sunday’s all-deciding race.
Having lost the first round to Björk in Saturday’s Race 1, which the Swedish Cyan Racing Lynk & Co driver won from pole position, Michelisz entered the final reverse-grid sprint just five points clear in the standings – in highly treacherous conditions.
He ultimately did enough, however, coming home fifth in the decider and crucially beating Björk to seal the title.
After the race, Michelisz spoke about how the pressure had affected him, but also highlighted how a more mature approach to life at large ultimately helped him handle it.
“To be honest I was very stressed, I could not sleep yesterday and there were lots of things going through my mind,” said the Hungarian following the race. “I knew today was going to be tricky. Then with the weather, the changeable conditions, the postponed race, it was one of the most difficult mornings and early afternoons of my life.”
Michelisz enjoyed strong support from his BRC Hyundai team-mates Mikel Azcona and Néstor Girolami on Sunday, as the pair rear-gunned the championship leader and defended him from any advances from the pursuing field.
“I have to say a huge thank you to my team, and my team-mates,” Michelisz continued. “This was a season where I scored well in every race. Since my first years in racing I understood that in this format, if you have an efficient team, you have very good chances to fight for the championship.
“So I’m incredibly grateful to BRC, to Hyundai, to Néstor and Mikel, because honestly without them, I would not be sitting here today. It’s a very happy day, a special day for me.”
Michelisz took his first-ever world touring car-level victory in Macau back in 2010 (in the WTCC), and said he could very clearly remember the emotions of that day – and that his personal progression since then has made him a more rounded competitor.
“I remember 14 years ago when I won my first race in the WTCC – it was an amazing feeling. But it was also a completely different driver and a completely different person. I guess 14 years of life experience, having children, it makes you realize the important things to grow.
“In these 14 years, we talk about all the success, but for me life is not really about success. It’s very nice to experience, but probably in two weeks, everyone will start thinking about next season. It’s a constant cycle of stress.
“What I realized is that many times in the past, I though a bad experience is (just) a bad experience. Missing out on the (WTCC) championship in 2017 (to Björk), sometimes being unlucky in my home race (in Hungary), I used to think it’s the end of the world.
“Now, I turned 40 this year. In this age you take things more as they come. I’m very grateful to be in this position, to have this team around me, and to live my passion.
“I realize now that bad things are also part of the journey and that just success (in itself) is not essential to that.”
