Mikel Azcona Wins Twice at Zhejiang as Hyundai Scores Two TCR 1–2 Finishes

Published October 26, 2026

Hyundai Elantra N TCR race cars at Zhejiang Circuit during the 2026 TCR World Tour weekend. Photo: Hyundai Motor Company/Hyundai Motorsport.

Mikel Azcona won two of the three Kumho FIA TCR World Tour races at Zhejiang Circuit, while BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse teammate Norbert Michelisz finished second in both. The results send Azcona to November’s Macau finale with a 33-point championship lead.

The Zhejiang weekend on October 24–25 produced two Hyundai 1–2 finishes in very different conditions. Azcona won a wet Race 1 by 6.474 seconds, recovered from a costly tire gamble in Race 2, then passed title rival Santiago Urrutia to win the mostly dry Race 3. It was Azcona’s fifth victory of the 2026 season.

Hyundai published the official race report and classifications on October 26. The results are established by those classifications; statements about the Elantra N TCR’s performance come from Hyundai Motorsport and are not based on a Chiefs Review track test.

Race 1: Azcona converts an all-Hyundai front row

Michelisz took pole in rain-hit qualifying, with Azcona alongside him in second. Azcona moved ahead at the first corner, but the race was not a simple formation run. Michelisz fell as low as fifth following contact at the rear of his car before working back to second.

Azcona completed the 18 laps in 31 minutes, 55.485 seconds. Michelisz crossed the line 6.474 seconds behind, and Santiago Urrutia was third for Geely Cyan Racing, 10.431 seconds off the winner. The surface dried enough that Azcona said he searched for wetter sections to manage front-tire temperature.

Race 2: Michelisz charges from ninth to second

Reverse-grid Race 2 belonged to Aurélien Comte in the Cupra Leon VZ, but Michelisz again made the largest move among the Hyundai title contenders. He started ninth and finished second, 8.625 seconds behind Comte after 22 laps.

Azcona’s strategy went the other way. His team fitted slick front tires in expectation that the circuit would dry, but the anticipated conditions never arrived. He finished 14th. That result could have narrowed the championship sharply, but Michelisz’s points kept both BRC Hyundai drivers ahead of Urrutia entering the final race.

Race 3: one opening decides the weekend

Michelisz started Race 3 from pole, with Azcona fourth. After a safety-car period, Urrutia made an error under braking at Turn 16 and ran onto the astroturf. Azcona moved to the inside and took the lead, then completed 19 laps in 33 minutes, 7.986 seconds.

Michelisz finished 1.327 seconds behind and spent the closing phase defending from the Geely drivers. The order mattered twice: it completed Hyundai’s second 1–2 of the weekend and limited the points available to Azcona’s closest non-teammate championship challenger. Thed Björk finished third, 2.596 seconds behind Azcona, while Urrutia dropped to 10th.

What the Zhejiang results mean for Macau

Azcona leaves Round 7 with 445 points. Michelisz is second on 412, and Urrutia is third on 406. That gives Azcona a 33-point advantage over his teammate and a 39-point advantage over Urrutia before the season finale.

The team contest remains open in the opposite direction. Geely Cyan Racing leads with 911 points, 48 ahead of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse on 863. Zhejiang strengthened Hyundai’s drivers’ title position without erasing Geely’s teams’ championship advantage.

Mikel Azcona: 445 points
Norbert Michelisz: 412 points
Santiago Urrutia: 406 points
Teams: Geely Cyan Racing 911; BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse 863

The finale is scheduled for November 19–22 on Macau’s Guia Circuit. Its narrow street layout and limited margin for error make the 33-point lead useful but not decisive. Azcona can manage the championship gap, while Michelisz and Urrutia still have a clear mathematical reason to attack.

The race car is a purpose-built Hyundai Elantra N TCR, distinct from the road model. Readers following Hyundai’s production-car program can also see Chiefs Review’s report on the Elantra N Monochrome road car.

Sources

Hyundai Motor Company: Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Review, Round 7 – Zhejiang, published October 26, 2026
FIA: 2026 Kumho FIA TCR World Tour event page, accessed October 26, 2026

Featured image: Hyundai Elantra N TCR race cars during the 2026 Zhejiang TCR World Tour weekend. Photo supplied by Hyundai Motor Company/Hyundai Motorsport for editorial use through the official October 26 media kit.