Azcona ganó en Zhejiang y llegó a Macao con 33 puntos de ventaja

Azcona crossed the line first and took the third race of Zhejiang. The result was not just another win: it was the one that put him 33 points ahead of Norbert Michelisz in the FIA TCR World Tour standings. The title will be decided in Macao, in the final round.

The Spanish driver, who arrived with a 17-point lead over Michelisz after Saturday’s second race, increased that advantage during the weekend. Urrutia had been the closest challenger, but a forced pit stop due to damage in Sunday’s race dropped him to third in the general standings and pushed him six points behind Michelisz.

Zhejiang, third race: Azcona won on a dry track

Unlike the other two races of the weekend, the decisive event was held on a dry track. That condition made the race more intense, with repeated incidents between the Hyundai and Geely drivers. The race director formally warned Azcona, Urrutia and Thed Björk.

Azcona finished ahead of Michelisz and Björk. Yann Ehrlacher and Ma Qinghua completed the top five, while Diego Morán lost performance because of a turbo problem and ended in eighth place.

“El resultado de Zhejiang le dio a Azcona una victoria y una ventaja de 33 puntos. Ahora viene Macao, con el lastre de compensación como factor decisivo.”Javier Aquino, Deportes

• Azcona: 445 puntos.
• Michelisz: 412 puntos.
• Urrutia: 406 puntos.
• Azcona’s advantage over Michelisz: 33 points.
• Urrutia’s gap to Michelisz: 6 points.
• Urrutia’s gap to Azcona: 39 points.

The standings were tightened by the problems suffered by Urrutia, not only by the performances of the two Hyundai drivers. Azcona and Michelisz split the podium again during the same weekend, but the outcome in the championship is asymmetric: Azcona has the comfortable margin, while Michelisz still needs to maintain pressure and exploit any setback.

Azcona’s victory was his eighth in the category since his debut in 2023. The run of results in Zhejiang gave him breathing room before the final round, although the compensation penalties carried by the two leaders could open the door for the rest of the field.

Macao will be the final scenario. A street circuit and the highest compensation load in the field make the outcome less predictable than the 33-point advantage suggests. Can Azcona arrive with the title under control and manage the race, or can Michelisz and the other rivals create a final upset?