Mikel Azcona was pleased to become the first double winner of the season in the FIA World Touring Car Cup at the Hungaroring, with the Hyundai driver picking up a lights-to-flag win on Sunday morning.
Azcona had qualified on pole and led the entire race, with Nathanaël Berthon, who ran second for the majority, and Yann Ehrlacher failing to provide a substantial challenge to the Spaniard.
It means Azcona has assumed the WTCR points lead with his win, moving 18 points clear of second-placed Néstor Girolami by being the first driver this year to win more than one race.
“I’m really happy,” said Azcona. “The start is very important in these races, especially at this track. Sector two is normally very difficult to overtake.
“I did my best from the start and tried to defend at T1 and T2 which is normally where all the overtakes happen. But in the end, we had a fair battle in T1 and T2 and I took the inside which is the best position. From this point I tried to manage sector two to make a gap.
“It’s always easier when you are in front and you have clear air, where you don’t have cars in front.
“In the end I tried to use this opportunity and it worked. No mistakes, tried to save the car in four wheels until the end of the race and I’m very happy.
“Thanks to the team, the car was working amazing and I have to say the front tyres were amazing.”
Azcona will have to start from tenth on the grid for the partially-reversed grid second race, and although overtaking is notoriously difficult at the Hungarian circuit, he heads into the afternoon’s race with high confidence.
“It’s going to be more difficult because we are starting P10 and we will be in the middle of everybody.
“I think we need to focus, try not to do any strange things, try to survive because reverse grids is where there is almost the most risk.
“I feel confident for race two, to try to survive the first laps and then from this point obviously I will do my best to keep going into the top positions but we will see.”