Norbert Michelisz has sensationally taken the second win of his World Touring Car Championship career, by winning from Chevrolet’s Alain Menu in front of his home crowd in Hungary.
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Starting fifth on the reverse grid, Michelisz made the best start to lead into the first corner and never looked back as he lead every lap to secure his second career victory in the World Touring Car Championship.
Pole Position man Franz Engstler dropped down the order in the Liqui Moly Team Engstler BMW 320TC, and the SEAT Tuenti Racing Team driver Pepe Oriola was able to slot into second ahead of the Proteam Racing BMW 320TC of Mehdi Bennani.
Menu was on a charge and was up into the top five behind the second SEAT Tuenti Racing Team driver of Tiago Monteiro, and the Chevrolet driver was all over the Portuguese driver and he made his move at turn twelve on lap three.
Michelisz however had gone and was building up his advantage over Oriola and Bennani, while Menu was slowly catching the Yokohama Independent duo.
Menu’s Chevrolet team-mates, Rob Huff and Yvan Muller were finding it tougher as they were bottled up behind the Lukoil Racing Team SEAT Leon of Gabriele Tarquini while Monteiro was holding his own in the under powered SEAT Tuenti Racing Team SEAT Leon.
Menu made up two places in one corner as the race entered the latter stages, as Oriola ran wide at turn one and Bennani outbraked himself – Menu found himself second and Bennani held third.
Michelisz was over four seconds up the road once Menu was second and despite the Swiss driver reducing his advantage, the Zengo Motorsport driver held on and secured a very popular home victory – the crowd cheering him every lap and after the race. Even the marshals around the circuit praised him after the race.
Menu’s podium finish meant that the Championship battle closed up as Muller dropped two positions to the Wiechers-Sport BMW 320TC of Stefano d’Aste and Engstler and found himself tenth at the flag.
Bennani secured his best finish to date in the WTCC with third place, while Oriola finished fourth. The top ten was completed by Monteiro, Tarquini, Huff, d’Aste, Engstler and Muller.
James Thompson in the LADA retired after three laps after an incident with Michelisz’s team-mate, Gabor Weber. Weber was given a drive through penalty for the incident.
Leaving Hungary, Muller has a twenty three point advantage over Menu while Huff is third. Michelisz has moved into the Championship top six with his victory while in the Yokohama Independents trophy, Michelisz has closed the gap to Oriola while d’Aste remains third.