Norbert Michelisz to switch for a BMW 320 TC
Zengő Dension Team has announced that Norbert Michelisz, winner of the 2010 FIA World Touring Car Championship Rookie Challenge will line up on the grid of the 2011 FIA WTCC with a BMW 320 TC in partnership with BMW Group Hungary. In an effort to gain more experience with the new technical package, the team decided not to attend the season-opener, therefore Michelisz, will begin the 2011 season on the 24th of April in Zolder, Belgium, where he will drive the Team RBM-prepared, turbocharged racecar over the course of Round 2 of the 2011 FIA WTCC season.
Michelisz’s new car was previously managed by the factory-supported BMW Team RBM and was driven by Augusto Farfus. The modifications required by the 2011 technical regulations will be performed by the crew of three times world champion Team RBM that will provide technical support to the Zengő Dension Team in the run-up to the season. The majority of the changes are related to the engines: with the introduction of the petrol-powered 1.6 turbo engines WTCC opens a new chapter in its history that also brings a major step for the team.
Last year Norbert Michelisz made history in the WTCC by winning in Macau therefore becoming the first ever world championship race winner of Hungarian motorsport. The 26-year-old driver won the 2010 FIA WTCC Rookie Challenge and took 9th in the overall classification. Zengő Dension Team would like to thank SEAT Sport for the three-year-long cooperation that saw Norbert Michelisz (2009) and Gábor Wéber (2010) taking back to back championship titles in the SEAT Leon EuroCup.
The 2011 season marks the third year of the cooperation between Norbert Michelisz and his title sponsor Dension Audio Systems, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of car entertainment systems. With the support of the Hungarian company, Zengő Dension Team became the first and to date only Hungarian outfit that stepped up to the world championship level of circuit racing.
“I’m very happy that we managed to find each other with BMW Hungary. Henning Putzke, BMW Hungary’s Managing Director has great confidence in us, I’m thankful for his support. In total only six or seven cars of this model will be ready for the start of the season and it is a huge success that such a small Hungarian team will have one of them. We made an enormous step towards realizing our ultimate aims. We have got a competitive car and I expect my team to be among the frontrunners. However, the circumstances are forcing us to miss the first race as we can’t risk racing with a totally unknown car that arrived in the last-minute before the race, said Zoltán Zengő, Team Principal.
“It is a dream coming true and I’m very happy to race a BMW 320 TC this season. It makes me proud that BMW Motorsport is paying emphasized attention for me and my team. I will need to adjust my mind and driving style for the rear-wheel drive but I can’t wait to race again. We have a lot work to do in order to get to know the car, but I’m confident that we will be able to make a big step forward especially in case we will be testing the car ahead the first race. If the circumstances allow me, I will try to take on the frontrunners. Hopefully I will bring happiness for my fans, added Norbert Michelisz.
“We are happy to support the team from the background with our contacts and know-how, also in logistics and administrative issues. Norbert Michelisz is a great talent and we hope to see him more often on the podium in 2011 so that the world can recognize the success of Hungarian motorsport. Support of Norbert is an extension of the motorsport engagement of BMW Group Hungary next to the endurance racing with BMW Team Hungary, said Henning Putzke, Managing Director, BMW Group Hungary.
“Dension is proud to have had the opportunity to support Norbert Michelisz for the third year in a row. He and his team have proved that they are up to the challenge of racing at the international level and they are capable of winning. Dension is racing for its customers in more than 40 countries worldwide. We are introducing our new products on a regular basis to make the use of mobile phones and entertainment devices safer and uninterrupted for the drivers. We celebrate our participation in the 2011 FIA WTCC with the release of two new products that will take the connection between the iPhone and the car to a whole new level, told Attila Szijj, Chief Executive Officer, Dension Audio Systems.
