Norbert Michelisz


Norbert Michelisz is a Hungarian auto racing driver and the 2019 champion of World Touring Car Cup.

Career

Early career

Michelisz was the 2006 Hungarian Suzuki Swift Cup champion, and in 2007 he won the Hungarian Renault Clio Cup.
In 2008 he competed in the Hungarian SEAT León Supercup, where he finished as runner-up. He drove in the SEAT León Eurocup, winning one race at Monza, and finishing 14th overall. The win in the SEAT León Eurocup led to a drive in the FIA World Touring Car Championship, competing in two rounds at Okayama for the SEAT backed SUNRED Engineering team. After retiring in race one, he finished sixteenth in the second race.
In 2009 he was the best scorer in the León Eurocup round at Porto, winning WTCC participation at Brands Hatch. He went on to win the León Eurocup title in September. This won him a drive for SEAT Sport in a SEAT León TDI at the 2009 European Touring Car Cup. He scored pole position and won the first race, but finished the second race in fifth, meaning he finished third in the overall standings, behind established touring car drivers James Thompson and Franz Engstler.

2010-2017: World Touring Car Championship (WTCC)

In 2010 he completed his first full season with SEAT León TDI in Zengő-Dension Team. He gained his first podium at Okayama in Race 1 after disqualification of Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus. Last race of the season he won his maiden victory in WTCC at Macau. He finished 9th in the championship with 104 points. He won the Rookie Challenge in that year.
In 2011 he switched to a BMW 320 TC with his Zengő-Dension Team. He scored his only podium finish in the season at Hungaroring. In both races he posted fastest lap. In overall he was 9th again with 88 points.
In 2012 he took his first win since the Race of Macau in 2010, and his first win with the BMW. He was victorious in Race 2 of Race of Hungary, in front of his home crowd.
On 18 November 2012, after the last race he won the Yokohama Trophy with Zengő Motorsport team, achieving the most significant victory in the history of Hungarian motor racing.
Zengő Motorsport switched to Honda for 2013, Michelisz stayed with the Hungarian squad until the end of 2015 – he won twice during this time: in 2013, he took victory at Honda's home track, Suzuka Circuit, two years later, he was a winner again at the Hungaroring.
On 13 January 2016, Honda annonunced Michelisz as factory driver alongside Rob Huff and Tiago Monteiro. The Himesháza-born driver was victourous in Japan for the second time, then he finished fourth in the standings. Next year, he became a championship protagonist, but got defeated by Cyan Racing's Thed Björk in a dramatic final weekend in Qatar.

2018- : World Touring Car Cup

After the 2017 season, WTCC became World Touring Car Cup following the merge with TCR International Series. On 30 January 2018, it was announced that Michelisz would join to BRC Racing Team's Hyundai team as Gabriele Tarquini's team-mate. His only win of the year was clinched at Slovakia Ring, he was fourth in the championship while helping Tarquini to become the first WTCR champion.
In 2019, he continued his career with BRC and Hyundai. After a couple of races, he became a real challenger taking five wins and 10 podium finishes during the season. In a thrilling final at Sepang, he was crowned as champion defeating Münnich Motorsport's and Honda's Esteban Guerrieri.

Racing record

Complete World Touring Car Championship results

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324DCPoints
2008SUNRED Racing DevelopmentSEAT León TFSIBRA
1		BRA
2		MEX
1		MEX
2		ESP
1		ESP
2		FRA
1		FRA
2		CZE
1		CZE
2		POR
1		POR
2		GBR
1		GBR
2		GER
1		GER
2		EUR
1		EUR
2		ITA
1		ITA
2		JPN
1
Ret		JPN
2
16		MAC
1		MAC
2		NC0
2009SUNRED EngineeringSEAT León 2.0 TFSIBRA
1		BRA
2		MEX
1		MEX
2		MAR
1		MAR
2		FRA
1		FRA
2		ESP
1		ESP
2		CZE
1		CZE
2		POR
1		POR
2		GBR
1
Ret		GBR
2
NC		GER
1		GER
2		ITA
1		ITA
2		JPN
1		JPN
2		MAC
1		MAC
2		NC0
2010Zengő-Dension TeamSEAT León TDIBRA
1
10		BRA
2
9		MAR
1
7		MAR
2
10		ITA
1
19		ITA
2
8		BEL
1
6		BEL
2
7		POR
1
7		POR
2
Ret		GBR
1
9		GBR
2
7		CZE
1
Ret		CZE
2
14		GER
1
8		GER
2
11		ESP
1
11		ESP
2
12		JPN
1
3		JPN
2
7		MAC
1
5		MAC
2
1		9th104
2011Zengő-Dension TeamBMW 320 TCBRA
1		BRA
2		BEL
1
7		BEL
2
8		ITA
1
4		ITA
2
7		HUN
1
2		HUN
2
15		CZE
1
8		CZE
2
15		POR
1
8		POR
2
4		GBR
1
NC		GBR
2
12		GER
1
15		GER
2
Ret		ESP
1
7		ESP
2
6		JPN
1
15		JPN
2
9		CHN
1
11		CHN
2
Ret		MAC
1
8		MAC
2
9		9th88
2012Zengő MotorsportBMW 320 TCITA
1
9		ITA
2
8		ESP
1
7		ESP
2
4		MAR
1
9		MAR
2
Ret		SVK
1
6		SVK
2
6		HUN
1
7		HUN
2
1		AUT
1
9		AUT
2
5		POR
1
4		POR
2
10		BRA
1
9		BRA
2
5		USA
1
3		USA
2
2		JPN
1
13		JPN
2
Ret		CHN
1
15		CHN
2
24		MAC
1
NC		MAC
2
21†		6th155
2013Zengő MotorsportHonda Civic WTCCITA
1
8		ITA
2
22		MAR
1
Ret		MAR
2
15†		SVK
1
3		SVK
2
21		HUN
1
2		HUN
2
8		AUT
1
14		AUT
2
3		RUS
1
3		RUS
2
5		POR
1
Ret		POR
2
DNS		ARG
1
7		ARG
2
5		USA
1
20		USA
2
3		JPN
1
1		JPN
2
Ret		CHN
1
10		CHN
2
3		MAC
1
4		MAC
2
Ret		6th185
2014Zengő MotorsportHonda Civic WTCCMAR
1
9		MAR
2
DNS		FRA
1
7		FRA
2
8		HUN
1
6		HUN
2
10		SVK
1
3		SVK
2
C		AUT
1
9		AUT
2
4		RUS
1
9		RUS
2
7		BEL
1
7		BEL
2
7		ARG
1
2		ARG
2
7		BEI
1
6		BEI
2
5		CHN
1
5		CHN
2
4		JPN
1
4		JPN
2
3		MAC
1
2		MAC
2
4		4th201
2015Zengő MotorsportHonda Civic WTCCARG
1
6		ARG
2
7		MAR
1
8		MAR
2
11		HUN
1
8		HUN
2
1		GER
1
4		GER
2
Ret		RUS
1
7		RUS
2
3		SVK
1
Ret		SVK
2
8		FRA
1
6		FRA
2
2		POR
1
3		POR
2
4		JPN
1
2		JPN
2
14†		CHN
1
6		CHN
2
11		THA
1
Ret		THA
2
12		QAT
1
7		QAT
2
3		6th193
2016Honda Racing Team JASHonda Civic WTCCFRA
1
3		FRA
2
3		SVK
1
6		SVK
2
4		HUN
1
DNS		HUN
2
10		MAR
1
DSQ		MAR
2
DSQ		GER
1
3		GER
2
2		RUS
1
10		RUS
2
3		POR
1
8		POR
2
3		ARG
1
6		ARG
2
8		JPN
1
1		JPN
2
8		CHN
1
2		CHN
2
11		QAT
1
5		QAT
2
4		4th213
2017Castrol Honda World Touring Car TeamHonda Civic WTCCMAR
1
5		MAR
2
2		ITA
1
NC		ITA
2
6		HUN
1
NC		HUN
2
4		GER
1
7		GER
2
2		POR
1
7		POR
2
1		ARG
1
14		ARG
2
1		CHN
1
DSQ		CHN
2
DSQ		JPN
1
7		JPN
2
1		MAC
1
5		MAC
2
2		QAT
1
9		QAT
2
8		2nd255

† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete International Superstars Series results

YearTeamCar12345678910111213141516DCPoints
2012Scuderia GiudiciBMW M3 MNZ
1		MNZ
2		IMO
1		IMO
2		DON
1		DON
2		MUG
1		MUG
2		HUN
1
3		HUN
2
Ret		SPA
1		SPA
2		VAL
1		VAL
2		PER
1		PER
2		25th14

Complete TCR International Series results

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314151617181920DCPoints
2017M1RAHonda Civic Type R TCRRIM
1		RIM
2		BHR
1		BHR
2		SPA
1		SPA
2		MNZ
1		MNZ
2		SAL
1		SAL
2		HUN
1
2		HUN
2
6		OSC
1		OSC
2		CHA
1
1		CHA
2
22†		ZHE
1		ZHE
2		DUB
1		DUB
2		14th59

† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 75% of the race distance.

Complete World Touring Car Cup results

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930DCPoints
2018BRC Racing TeamHyundai i30 N TCRMAR
1
Ret		MAR
2
7		MAR
3
5		HUN
1
3		HUN
2
6		HUN
3
2		GER
1
4		GER
2
5		GER
3
Ret		NED
1
Ret		NED
2
23		NED
3
22†		POR
1
Ret		POR
2
5		POR
3
3		SVK
1
23†		SVK
2
6		SVK
3
1		CHN
1
Ret		CHN
2
11		CHN
3
5		WUH
1
Ret		WUH
2
14		WUH
3
14		JPN
1
11		JPN
2
3		JPN
3
9		MAC
1
5		MAC
2
Ret		MAC
3
3		4th246
2019BRC Hyundai N Squadra CorseHyundai i30 N TCRMAR
1
11		MAR
2
12		MAR
3
8		HUN
1
10		HUN
2
Ret		HUN
3
2		SVK
1
3		SVK
2
6		SVK
3
2		NED
1
Ret		NED
2
8		NED
3
3		GER
1
1		GER
2
7		GER
3
Ret		POR
1
1		POR
2
Ret		POR
3
9		CHN
1
4		CHN
2
1		CHN
3
Ret		JPN
1
13		JPN
2
1		JPN
3
8		MAC
1
2		MAC
2
10		MAC
3
12		MAL
1
1		MAL
2
8		MAL
3
4		1st372

† Driver did not finish the race, but was classified as he completed over 90% of the race distance.

Complete TCR Europe Touring Car Series results

YearTeamCar1234567891011121314DCPoints
2018M1RAHyundai i30 N TCRLEC
1		LEC
2		ZAN
1		ZAN
2		SPA
1		SPA
2		HUN
1		HUN
2		ASS
1		ASS
2		MNZ
1		MNZ
2		CAT
1
3		CAT
2
4		16th28