M1RA celebrate teams’ title after strong result in Dubai Race 1

Fifth and sixth for M1RA drivers Attila Tassi and Josh Files helped secure the new Hungarian team the 2017 TCR International Series teams’ title in Dubai, while 18-year-old Tassi is now all but assured of finishing second in the drivers’ standings.

Tassi started tenth but made quick progress, and was staring at the rear of his championship rival Jean-Karl Vernay throughout much of the race, while Josh Files, racing for M1RA for the first time, soon joined him in sixth after starting 14th.

Although Tassi was unable to find a way past Vernay, which meant the Frenchman was able to wrap up the drivers’ title one race early, the same story is true for M1RA in the teams’ title, with the team owned by Dávid Bári and Norbert Michelisz now 48 points ahead with 43 remaining.

“It means a lot for me and for the guys,” said Bári to TouringCarTimes. “Of course we are disappointed that we didn’t win the drivers’ championship. I don’t feel we lost the championship, but that we won second position. This result represents his work and our work that we’ve done throughout the whole year.

“It’s the same for the teams’ championship – I’m extremely proud, we have a good team, with good people and good ways of working and we just wanted to show the whole world, that’s why we started this whole project just nine months ago.

“It’s a little emotional as I’m now remembering the first time I sat down with Norbi (Michelisz) and decided let’s go ahead and let’s do this, it’s a good feeling.”