Title down to the wire

This year, the TCR World Tour Event of Macau will be the last event (Rounds 13 and 14) of the season, meaning that this year’s champion will be crowned in Macau.

Leading the standings is Norbert Michelisz, driving the Hyundai Elantra N, with 274 points after 12 rounds. Close behind is Esteban Guerrieri (Honda Civic Type R FL5) with 264 points, followed by Thed Björk in Lynk & Co 03 with 255 points.

With 75 points still up for grabs at the Guia Circuit (15 for qualifying + 30 for each race), the chances are that the final win in this championship may still go to any of the top six contenders.

Besides the top three mentioned, Yann Ehrlacher (Lynk & Co 03), Mikel Azcona (Hyundai Elantra N), and Santiago Urrutia (Lynk & Co 03) are all mathematically in range to take the laurels this year.

Michelisz, aiming for his third international title in six years, holds a 27 point lead over Azcona, currently in fifth place. This is a slim lead in a challenging circuit such as Guia, where minor mistakes can lead to tragic consequences and collisions with barriers and walls.

Adding to this difficulty is a packed field of 32 cars, including many non-regular racers who have a consequently slower pace than the front runners, posing yet another challenge on the path to final glory.

This race will also feature significant regional participation, with five drivers from Hong Kong, 11 from the mainland, two from Indonesia, and one from Korea, making up more than half the field.

Thed Björk

After two free practice sessions yesterday, TCR cars will go out on track for the first of two qualifying sessions at 12:55 p.m., with a second session starting at 1:35 p.m.

The session will award the first 15 points of the weekend and pave the way for Race 1 (10 laps), scheduled for Saturday (Nov. 16 from 12:35 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.).

The final race of the season (10 laps) is scheduled for Sunday (Nov. 17) from 10:55 a.m. to 11:35 a.m.