Valencia sees the resumption of the 2011 FIA World Touring Car Championship after the five week summer break and for Norbert Michelisz; it offers him the chance to get his challenge for honours in the Yokohama Independents’ Trophy back on track.
Last time out in Germany, at Oschersleben, Michelisz lost out on a potential race win – and Independent victory – after spinning out of contention at the final corner at the mid way point of the race. He would ultimately fail to finish after being forced out wide at turn one and into the barrier.
Heading to Spain, he is looking for an upturn in fortune at a circuit he knows well. Since 2008, the young Hungarian driver has competed in ten races at the circuit though this weekend marks his first time there driving the rear wheel drive BMW 320TC, run by Zengo-Dension Motorsport.
Looking ahead to rounds seventeen and eighteen, Michelisz is currently eighth in the overall Championship on sixty six points while he has the advantage in the Yokohama Independents Trophy, he has a single point advantage – Michelisz has seventy nine points to the seventy eight points of Poulsen and O’Young.
The WTCC race of Spain last year was the only race where Michelisz failed to make it into the second part of qualifying. He was sidelined by a mechanical failure which meant he was unable to post a competitive time in the first part of qualifying.
The problem in qualifying last year made Michelisz unconfident about the circuit, but it is a track he enjoys. Michelisz said about the forthcoming race weekend: “Apart from the Hungaroring, Valencia is obviously the circuit that I know the best. I know it a lot better than any other circuits thanks to the endless walking, biking and of course driving over the years. I like its layout despite the 2010 race that made me a bit unconfident. The circuit poses a reasonable challenge for the drivers, it has got some really enjoyable sections but others are entirely lacking the rhythm.”
The WTCC race of Spain, which has been a fixture on the calendar since 2005, gets underway Saturday Morning, with qualifying, warm up and the second race all being shown live while Race one will be shown prior to the second race.
Valencia WTCC Schedule (All Times BST)
Saturday, 3 September:
08.00 – 08.30: Free Practice 1
10.30 – 11.00: Free Practice 2
13.30 – 13.50: Qualifying 1 (Eurosport, 22.15 Sat, 07.30 Sun)
13.55 – 14.05: Qualifying 2 (Eurosport, 22.15 Sat, 07.30 Sun)
Sunday, 4 September:
08.30 – 08.45: Warm Up (Live on Eurosport)
12.35 – 13.05: Race 1 (On Eurosport at 13.15)
14.05 – 14.35: Race 2 (Live on Eurosport)