Norbert Michelisz (Kumho FIA TCR World Tour Champion): “What a beautiful day it has been. Firstly, being together in this position with Dušan (Borković) is very special. We have known each other a long time. I know how tough it is to come from a country where motorsports is not popular, so this is really amazing. I need to say a huge thanks to my team and to my teammates Mikel and Néstor. I think that this was a season in which from the first moment we did not put a foot wrong. I scored in every single race, and the team worked perfectly in every event. I know that since my first years in racing, if you have an efficient team, you have a good chance to fight for the championship, so I am incredibly grateful because without them I would not be here today.”
Dušan Borković (1st): “I am feeling overwhelmed. I wish to congratulate Norbi, as he is a very good friend. I had started the season in TCR Europe, then in Marrakech I was given the opportunity to try the World Tour. I had to switch my mind and face the pressure, as the races are on Serbia’s national TV. During the season I was making some mistakes, but I was very fast in Brazil and Uruguay, and I was learning a lot from Esteban (Guerrieri). I wanted to improve and sometimes I overdrove, but Esteban has been really helpful. I am very happy to be on the podium with these guys today!”
Esteban Guerrieri (2nd): “I would like to congratulate Norbie. It was an incredible year for him. Bofore the race, together with Pepe Oriola our team manager, we were thinking about all options. We thought we had nothing to lose if we use slicks, because we knew that in mixed conditions the Lynk & Co and Hyundai cars were quicker than us. So, if we had gone for wets, we couldn’t have been competitive. On slicks we would probably fall back in the beginning, but that was the only risk we had. It was a mutual decision that paid off!”
Marco Butti (3rd): “It was a tough weekend… Actually, I have a bit of pain in my neck now, but it’s still been a fantastic event. It is great to be on the podium, especially after the big rain we had this morning. But it still doesn’t feel like my weekend… I need to improve to a higher level. I can now understand that and start to make improvements for next year.”
Martin Xie Xin Zhe (1st in TCR China): “Our goal was never to be a champion of local, so in Zhuzhou I was in a very good position after qualifying, and I was also second in our championship just six points, but I wanted to learn and fight with the best. We didn’t get a clean lap in qualifying so we started from the back, but today we took a gamble as it’s Macau, and we chose the right tyre combination and we took the fight to the front. The victory is for the team, and for Honda, and I’m very happy to get this result. In the last lap I was in a position to challenge the TCR World Tour drivers, but I didn’t want to risk it as the race isn’t just for myself, but it’s for my team.”
Martin Cao Hong Wei (TCR China champion): “At the start I thought I had a chance, as Ma Qing Hua wasn’t closing on me so maybe I had a chance, but as the track got drier, Borković and the other Honda cars were on slicks and were way faster than us. So though I made the wrong choice on tyres, I had to match the strategy of Jason (Zhang Zhi Qiang) because of the TCR China championship. The race was really tough, and towards the end my pace was getting slower and slower, but luckily the gap between me and Jason meant I was able to win the championship.”
Dypo Fitramadhan (1st in TCR Asia): “I’m very happy with the result, I never expected to win, but to be here and to win, racing around this track that was scary as hell. I was just trying to get some experience and finish the race. For our season finale to be at Macau was a wonderful surprise, but I spent time in the simulator to get ready, and I definitely want to come back and race at Macau next year.”
Picture: WSC/Jun Qian Motorsport
