Norbert Michelisz wins in Thailand as Mat’o Homola suffers puncture
Norbert Michelisz has won his first race in the TCR International Series in a frenetic first race at the Buriram International Circuit in a race full of contact, with the Alfa Romeo of Dusan Borkovic driving through to finish second, with the M1RA Honda of Attila Tassi third.
Mat’o Homola led the way into Turn 1 in his DG Sport Compétition Opel Astra, as Norbert Michelisz moved past James Nash’s Craft-Bamboo Racing SEAT into second at the start.
Nash then briefly lost a spot to Tassi at Turn 3, as the Hungarian drove around the outside, but Nash was back ahead during the next sequence of corners.
Nash then caught the rear of Tassi’s Honda at Turn 12 which lost him momentum and allowed the Team WRT Volkswagen of Jean-Karl Vernay through, but he was back ahead of the Frenchman at Turn 4.
Nash’s race slowly fell away from him as he locked up at Turn 3 and fell behind Vernay and his SEAT team-mate Oriola, before becoming the first retirement of the race on lap six as he drove into the pits to retire.
Up ahead, while Homola pulled away from Michelisz, Tassi was now fighting a rear-guard action against Vernay. On lap eight, Michelisz attempted to help out his team-mate as he dropped back and tried to allow him to pass at Turn 3, but it only played into Oriola’s hands, who managed to pass both Tassi and Vernay and grab third position.
Dusan Borkovic meanwhile was scything through the order in his GE-Force Alfa Romeo, and a lap later had passed both Vernay and Tassi and was closing on the top three.
Homola’s now had a near seven second lead, but it wasn’t to be for Opel, with the Slovakian pitting with a front-left puncture at the end of lap 12, handing the lead to Michelisz.
There was more trouble to come as Oriola slowed on the final lap, promoting Borkovic to second and Tassi third.
Jean-Karl Vernay had a final lunge to get past his title rival Tassi at the final corner, with both making contact and then involved in a drag race to the line, but Tassi took it by three-tenths of a second.
Vernay finished fourth, with Team WRT team-mate Rob Huff just behind him in fifth ahead of Giacomo Altoè’s M1RA Honda.
Stefano Comini scored key points with seventh in his Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS, with Davit Kajaia’s Alfa in eighth, Dan Lloyd the only finisher for Craft-Bamboo in ninth, and with Gianni Morbidelli completing the top ten for WestCoast Racing.
With Tassi finishing third, the 18-year-old is now jointly leading the championship on 167 points, with Comini now 17 points behind.
Race 2 follows at 16:05 ICT (11:05 CET), with Boutsen Ginion Racing’s Aurélien Panis on pole position.
