Positioned at the top of the touring car race’s pecking order, the WTCR is a global arena for race cars based on mass-produced models. In the inaugural 2018 season, BRC Racing Team’s Gabriel Tarquini took the driver championship with Hyundai’s very own i30 N TCR, while the Yvan Muller Racing Team, likewise with the i30 N TCR, took the team championship, giving Hyundai the double crown. The subsequent 2019 season saw rigorous restrictions on the race cars for BoP (balance-of-performance) purposes, but Hyundai’s domination continued nonetheless. The BRC Team’s Nobert Michelisz won the driver championship and led the team to a second-place finish, once again demonstrating Hyundai’s superior driving performance to the world.
Hyundai Steps into the Arena Called Circuit
Hyundai’s preparation for the WTCR began with the 2017 test drives of i30 N TCR Race Car.
Hyundai’s preparation for the WTCR began in 2016 at Hyundai MotorSport GmbH (HMSG) in Alzenau, Germany. Having undergone rigorous on-road tests that began in April 2017, i30 N TCR Race Car was featured not only in the inaugural 2018 WTCR but also in other various global touring car competitions, receiving high praise throughout.
The team currently representing Hyundai in the WTCR is Italy’s BRC Racing Team. Established in 2009, the team initially participated in various rallies before netting a contract with Hyundai in 2017. The team’s first contribution to the manufacturer was in test driving the i20 R5 Race Car, but it soon moved onto the development of the circuit machine i30 N TCR. The then-test driver Gabriel Tarquini, together with the recruit Alan Menu, formed the roster in the 2017 season. As final checks to the next season, the team entered the rallies in China and Arab Emirates to close out 2017. The team immediately won the debut race in China, establishing i30 N TCR as a dark horse for the 2018 season.
In the inaugural 2018 WTCR season, Tarquini rode the i30 N TCR to shatter the FIA record for the oldest driver champion (Born 1962, aged 57 at the time)
In 2018, the TCR International and the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) announced a merger to begin anew as the WTCR, and the BRC Racing Team selected i30 N TCR to participate in the competition. Tarquini, a veteran with Formula 1 experience, finished with 5 victories amid 8 podium finishes and was crowned the driver champion for the WTCR season. Hungarian national Nobert Michelisz, recruited to fill the gap left by Alan Menu, also added one victory and a 4th overall finish to help the BRC team finish second overall.
Team championship went to the French national Yvan Muller’s M-Racing Team, which like the BRC team also drove in i30 N TCR. Muller’s second overall finish in the driver championship meant that both the driver and the team championship categories had Hyundai race cars for the first and second finishers. The 2018 season, indeed, was completely dominated by Hyundai.
2019: Preparing to Upstage the Success of the 2018 Season
The 2019 Season had noticeable changes to the WTCR teams’ rosters. Yvan Muller, who had ridden Hyundai’s i30 N TCR, changed his allegiance to Lynk & Co, a Chinese brand that, along with Volvo, is owned by China’s Zhejiang Geely Holding Group. Muller’s team’s long history with the Volvo brand likely had an effect on the decision. In the WTCR, each team is limited to two race cars, and a single model is limited to 4 cars in the entry; the rules prevent the race from featuring a disproportionate number of cars from a single maker.
As a result, the BRC Team had to enlist new drivers and vehicles to the roster. For the 2019 season, the main team featured incumbents Gabriel Tarquini and Nobert Michelisz and Hyundai N Squadra Corse; the BRC Hyundai N Lukoil Racing Team recruited Augusto Farfus, who had shined in DTM and WTCC, and Nicky Catsburg, an experienced endurance racer, to fill out the second team.
Hyundai started the 2019 season on the high note, with Gabriel Tarquini’s victory in Race 2.
Hyundai Motors had a fabulous start to the 2019 season in Morocco. Situated in downtown Marrakech, the Moulay El Hassan Circuit was designed by the world-renowned circuit designer Hermann Tilke. Previously, it had featured a relatively simple 4.545 km layout, but the renovation in 2016 saw the circuit shrink to 2.971 km and feature more corners. The defending champ Tarquini won Race 2; Catsburg crashed into a wall and retired at the pole position, and Tarquini at the second place had naturally succeeded him at the pole.
Following the first round, the second round also saw Tarquini winning Race 3.
Into the second round―Race of Hungary was featured in the home of the F1 Grand Prix, Hungaroring. The BRC Team had Tarquini win in Race 3, and Michelisz, with the home-field advantage, finished second in the team’s one-two finish. A Hungarian national, Michelisz is popular in the local scene as the driver to succeed the star driver Robert Kubica.
Race 3 initially had Michelisz start at the pole position, and Tarquini at the fourth grid. But Michelisz, immediately after the start, gave up his position to Munich Motorsport Team’s Esteban Guerrieri and Tarquini, falling to third. But in the fourth lap, Guerrieri experienced some troubles in the race car, and the Hyundai duo could handily pass him by, securing the top two placements. At the close of fifteen laps, the Hyundai duo had finished with the fastest record, with Tarquini at first and Michelisz at second in a dominant one-two finish.
Nobert Michelisz’s ascendance began in Round 3, Race of Slovakia.
In the third round, Race of Slovakia, Michelisz finished Race 1 at the third place and continued his hot streak in Race 3 with a second-place finish. The Slovakia Ring, located 40 km away from the country’s capital Bratislava, is notorious for its harsh weather, but only some clouds were seen on the day of the competition, leaving the circuit dry. Catsburg and Michelisz, both on i30 N TCR, were positioned in the pole position and the second grid at the start of Race 3. Ma Qinghua of the Team Mulsanne, starting out from the third grid, overtook the first place in an initial spurt, trailed closely by the Hyundai duo. But Catsburg, having given up the pole position, struggled to keep pace due to vehicle damage. On the other hand, Michelisz kept his pace and finished second, adding to the team’s point tally. At the close of the third round, Munich Motorsport Team’s Nestor Girolami (125 points) and Esteban Guerrieri (123 points), both on Honda Civics, were on the top of the driver category. BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse’s Michelisz (102) and Tarquini (96) were up next. The beginning of the season was a four-horse race of these drivers. In the team category, BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, at 198 points, trailed All-INKL.COM Munich Motorsport (Honda)’s 248.
In Round 4, Michelisz shined out of the slumping Hyundai drivers.
The fourth round was hosted in Netherland’s Circuit Zandvoort, a historic circuit created in 1939 that will also feature the rebirth of F1 Grand Prix Netherland in May. The Hyundai Team’s racers struggled in the qualifying races and were positioned beyond the 10th grid in Race 1. Michelisz and Farfus retired, and Tarquini finished 20th. Amid the struggling finishes, Michelisz did rise up in Race 3 to a podium finish, finishing third, while Farfus and Catsburg each recorded a fourth-place finish. Cyan Lynk & Co’s Thed Bjork had two victories, while Guerrieri on Honda Civic had one victory.
Nurburgring Sees a Michelisz Victory
Michelisz won in the harsh circuits of Nurburgring, Germany, embarking on a real challenge for the driver championship.
Round 5 in Germany had the racers undertake the full course of Nurburgring, a relatively long-distance tracks of 25.378 km. Nordschleife, the historic northern part of the course famous for supercar testing, is notorious for its endless corners, extreme height differentials, and unpredictable precipitation.
Michelisz started Race 1 in the second grid but had a fantastic start to rise to the pole position, a position he kept for the entire duration of the race. Tarquini started from the 10th grid and rose at one point to fifth place, but unfortunately retired mid-race. Michelisz, though, had the first wave of the checkered flag and secured the Hyundai Team’s third victory of the season. Tarquini did shine in Race 3, finishing fifth.
Round 6 was hosted in Northern Portugal’s Circuito Internacional de Vila Real―also a historic circuit that has held races since the 1930s. The full course was once over 7 km long, but it has now been reduced to 4.785 km of today. With relatively smooth corners, the circuit is designed to be speedy; even with a handful of chicanes (a series of S-shaped curves inserted into the circuit for speed reduction) installed for safety purposes, the circuit typically sees the race cars drive at speeds of over 200 km/h, ensuring a dynamic race at every turn. The presence of the joker lap, a once-in-a-race mandatory detour, is also a point of interest. Exactly when to take the joker lap is a strategic consideration here.
In Round 6, Michelisz earned a consecutive victory from the previous round to maintain the 2nd place in the driver category.
ㅍRace 1 had Michelisz start from the pole position, a position he again never surrendered throughout. Dismissing several overtaking attempts of the rear group, Mischelisz earned a consecutive victory that followed his victory in Race 1 of Round 5. Farfus, who started in the second grid, allowed Lynk & Co’s Yann Ehrlacher to overtake him and finished third. In Races 2 and 3, however, Hyundai racers were struck by one misfortune after another. BCR Hyundai N Squadra Corse’s Michelisz and Tarquini had a double retire in Race 2, and BRC Hyundai N Lukoil Team’s Farfus and Catsburg likewise had a double retire in Race 3. The Race of Portugal was not a kind one for the Hyundai racers. By the end of Round 6, Michelisz had added 104 points since Round 3 to tally 206 points, trailing only Guerrieri (236 points) in second place overall. But Tarquini, who had been in third place till Round 3 with 119 points, fell to 10th place after only adding 23 points in Rounds 4-6.
In the Race of China, Michelisz’s victory and Tarquini’s strong performance kept the Hyundai Team in good position
Having toured through Africa and Europe, the WTCR then moved onto the Asian continent where it hosted Round 7’s Race of China. Ningbo International Speedpark, located in the city of Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, was chosen as the site. Owned by Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, owner of the Volvo brand, the circuit was constructed on an abandoned quarry and spans 4.010 km. The Cyan Lynk & Co Team, who uses the Speedpark as home grounds, naturally had an advantage and scored victories in Race 1 and 3.
But the Hyundai Team did not fade easily. In Race 2, Michelisz finished first despite smashing the front of his race car in a crash with Lynk & Co’s Andy Priaulx. Tarquini redeemed himself in a strong fashion, finishing second in Race 2 and third in Race 3. Gurierri, who had been in first place in the driver category overall, did not add a point in the entire Race of China.
Michelisz’s shining performance in China allowed him to finally overtake Gurrieri for the first place in the driver category. Cyan Lynk & Co’s strong performance in China had the team rise to the top in the team category; BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse and Lukoil maintained their third and fourth place positions.
Michelisz wins the fifth victory, securing the 2019 season championship
Michelisz won again in the Race of Japan, claiming his fourth season victory.
The final weekend of October had the Round 8 start in Japan’s Suzuka Circuit. Rather than using the full circuit, the race utilized only the eastern tracks, which passes through the first corner and the double-S before returning to the main street. The total distance varied by the race, with Race 1 and 2 going for 24 laps and Race 3 going for 28.
The Race of Japan saw the Hyundai Team’s hot streaks continue. Michelisz won Race 2, and Tarquini finished second in both Race 1 and 3. Michelisz started Race 2 at the pole position and vigorously defended the attacking maneuvers from the second grid’s Robert Huff (SLR Volkswagen Motorsport). Race 1 and 3 were won by Cyan Lynk & Co, rather than the Honda Team with the home-field advantage. The results solidified Michelisz’s top position in the driver category overall.
The narrow city roads of the Race of Macau presented a temporary setback for the Hyundai Team
Round 9 was hosted in Macau, doubling as the opening event for the Grand Prix Macau. Featuring the competition of the best F3-series drivers in the world, the F3 Grand Prix Macau receives worldwide attention from many motorsport fans as nurturing ground for future F1 drivers. Its Circuit de Guia, 6.120 km long, is distinguished by both long straight tracks and serpentine twists through the old city center. Incidentally, Tarquini had secured his driver championship for the 2018 season in these very tracks.
But this season, Cyan Lynk & Co dominated the circuit, taking home all victories from Race 1 through 3 and solidifying its top position in the team category. Other than Michelisz’s second-place finish (Race 1) and Catsburg’s best lap time in Race 2, the Hyundai team generally slumped. Farfus had taken a leave of absence for personal reasons, and while Luka Engstler (who rode an i30 N TCR Race Car for the TCR Series in Asia and Europe) drove valiantly in his stead, the gap could not easily be mended. At the end of the Macau race, Michelisz kept his top position in the driver category with 316 points, but his victory was by no means secure at this stage, with Guerrieri and Yvan Muller trailing him by mere 9 and 11 points, respectively./span>
In the final race of WTCR in Malaysia, Michelisz won his fifth victory and secured the driver championship.span>
Round 10, the final race of WTCR, was hosted in Malaysia’s Sepang Circuit, which hosted the F1 Grand Prix up to 2017. This year’s race, spanning the full 5.543 km course, had all three races conducted within just one Sunday. In light of the slight rain and slippery track conditions, Race 1 began in a rolling start. Michelisz started from the pole position and swiftly passed the backmarker (the slowest racer trailing the leading group by a large margin) in the fourth lap. He would end up winning Race 1, and Tarquini would finish third. Race 2 had Michelisz start from the 10th grid and finish in 8th place.
The final, conclusive Race 3 began at 6:30 p.m. after sunset. Michelisz started at the pole position but quickly sank to third place, an ominous start to his championship title run. But then his rival Gurierri experienced vehicle troubles while fighting for the pole position, and sank further down the table than expected. As a result, Michelisz, who finished fourth in the race, secured the 2019 WTCR season’s driver championship, succeeding Gabriel Tarquini’s legacy last year as the consecutive champion driver of Hyundai’s i30 N TCR.
Michelisz’s victory meant that the Hyundai Team had produced two consecutive driver champions
Although Guerrieri had won Race 2, his heroics were not enough to flip the table in the final Race 3. In sum, the tally had Nobert Michelisz with 372 points and Gurrieri with 349, showing a gap of 23 points. The Hyundai Team thus produced another champion in 2019 to follow Gabriel Tarquini’s 2018 driver championship.
In the team championship category, Hyundai N Squadra Corse (with Hyundai i30 N TCR) finished runner-up to Cyan Lynk & Co. The gap between the two teams was only 22 points, with Cyan Lynk & Co scoring 624 and Hyundai N Squadra Corse scoring 602. On the whole, the two Hyundai teams that used i30 N TCR (N Squadra Corse and N Lukoil Racing) had seven victories (Michesliz 5, 6, 7, 8, 10; Tarquini 1, 2) amid 18 podium finishes in the 10-round, 30-race season.
Hyundai’s strong performances in the global TCR scene is expected to continue
Hyundai race cars’ strong performances in the 2019 season were not limited to the WTCR: their performances in continental and local TCR series were nothing short of remarkable as well. Hyundai cars were crowned champions in North America, Europe, and Asian continental races, as well as in local German, Russian, Malaysian, and Australian TCR series. Particularly in North America’s IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Veloster N TCR swept both driver and team championships.
Beyond just i30 N TCR and Veloster N TCR, Hyundai TCR cars’ general outlook in the global TCR scene looks bright the next season as well―the manufacturer has already proven the capacity to withstand the harshest BoP (Balance of Performance: restrictions given to faster models to give slower models a more equitable chance) measures to continuously display high performance and competitiveness.
Particularly in the WTCR, the accumulated know-how in the two championship seasons gives all the more reasons to be expectant in the team’s upcoming season. Indeed, the team’s fans are counting the days to March, when the 2020 WTCR will open its season in Morocco.
Author: Lee Su-Jin, automobile critic.
Excited about the 1984 establishment of the first domestic auto mania magazine 〈Car Vision〉, I sent a series of long letters there that led to an unexpected hire. 27 years passed since then, the years of plowing through the writing struggles of an auto journalist. After becoming an editor for 〈Car Vision〉, I came to my current position as the Editor-in-Chief for 〈Car Life〉. My recent interests include cutting-edge tech like electric cars, connected cars, and autonomous driving, but the ‘otaku’ in me doesn’t want internal combustion engines to disappear either.
◆ The column contains the subjective viewpoint of the author and does not necessarily represent the viewpoint or the editing direction of the HMG Journal.
