Norbert Michelisz thanks Augusto Farfus for Zandvoort podium

Team orders were the story of the day at Zandvoort, with BRC Racing Team employing team orders at the end of the first race to help Norbert Michelisz, the Hyundai team’s best-placed driver, to the podium, with the Hungarian thanking his team-mate for the gesture.

Despite a disastrous start to the season, where it seemed reigning champion Gabriele Tarquini was going to be the Italian team’s front man, Michelisz has been in the ascendency over the last three rounds, with four podium finishes highlighting his consistency, which has seen him elevated to fourth in the championship at the 1/3 point of the season.

Michelisz is just 31 points behind championship leader Esteban Guerrieri, 24 points ahead of Tarquini, and 55 ahead of Augusto Farfus, who handed back third place at the end of the final race at Zandvoort.

Michelisz had qualified third, but Farfus had the better start, and hounded the Lynk & Cos of Thed Björk and Yann Ehrlacher throughout the race, before dropping back on lap 15.

“It should be Augusto (Farfus) sitting up here instead of me,” said Michelisz.

“He would have deserved to be on the podium, but it was a decision made that I could overtake him. Of course, if you are the lucky one you take the possibility, but in the end the only thing I can say is congrats to the team and thanks to Augusto.”