Honda’s Norbert Michelisz says he is aiming to take victory in his ‘second home race’ at the Slovakiaring this weekend, having already scored a brace of podiums in the opening weekend of the World Touring Car Championship season.
The Hungarian racer has a strong record at the Slovakian circuit, which is just 17 km from the border with Hungary.
Having taken two podiums at the wheel of Honda machinery in 2013 and 2014, Michelisz is confident of being able to be in contention for the outright win once more.
“I love racing at the Slovakia Ring,” said Michelisz. “As a circuit it has every kind of corner; a real drivers’ track, and the Civic’s handling has always helped the car go well there.
“Based on what we saw in France, the upgrades made to the car over the winter with the engine and chassis have made a big difference, and I expect us to be in contention for podiums and victories again.”
The race at the relatively rural Slovakiaring is known for pulling in a large crowd of central Europeans, giving Michelisz motivation to deliver a strong result.
“I also love coming here because it’s very close to Hungary, so there are lots of Hungarian fans that come over the border to support me and the team. It almost feels like a second home race.
“Two podiums on my first weekend as a factory driver in France was a dream come true, but once you get results like that, you always push for more, so I’m definitely aiming to better that this weekend and add to the two podiums I’ve had in Slovakia previously.”
Full details of the Slovakiaring circuit are available at the new TouringCars.Net circuits portal.