Norbert Michelisz won the first race of the 2026 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour in Misano, leading a BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse 1-2 to a formation finish. Pole-sitter and early race leader Mikel Azcona relinquished his lead at the end of lap two and kept the Cyan Racing Geely Preface of Yann Ehrlacher at bay throughout the remainder of the race.
The top five stayed in order at the start of the race, while Aurélien Comte leapt to sixth position, soon joined by the fast-starting Honda of Esteban Guerrieri, who was up to seventh from P11 on the grid by the end of the first lap. Jenson Brickley was an early retirement, stopping soon after a fight with Jean-Karl Vernay.
Up front, Azcona pulled aside at the end of lap two to allow teammate Michelisz into the lead in a coordinated move, while the two Geely cars of Ehrlacher and Santiago Urrutia continued to chase.
Thed Björk in fifth fell slightly back and found himself defending against the feisty CUPRA of Comte. Despite several attempts to find a way past, Comte had to settle for sixth, while also keeping an eye behind to defend against Guerrieri.
Ma Qing Hua finished the race in eighth, ensuring all four of Geely Cyan Racing’s cars had a strong result for the first race, though he was also defending to keep back Jean-Karl Vernay, who had made good progress after starting 12th.
There was more success for BRC, as Gabriele Covini finished in tenth place, and was the winner of the first ETS Guest Star Trophy.
The one-place grid promotion for tomorrow’s race was earned by Azcona, who set the fastest lap and so will move up to ninth place on the reversed grid for Race 2 that will get underway at 11:05 CEST tomorrow, with the ALM Motorsport Honda of Jenson Brickley starting from the pole.
Race 1
- Norbert Michelisz (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N EV), 15 laps
- Mikel Azcona (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N EV), 1.170
- Yann Ehrlacher (Geely Cyan Racing, Geely Preface), 1.704
Fastest lap: 1:41.362, Mikel Azcona in lap 4
ETS Guest Star Trophy:
Gabriele Covini (BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N)
Championship points
- N. Michelisz, 40 pts.; 2. M. Azcona, 40; 3. Y. Ehrlacher, 30
Picture: WSC/Fastclick
