Autosportfoto

Michelisz WTCC heroics put him top of leading poll

FIA World Touring Car Championship runner-up Norbert Michelisz has come out on top of a prestigious online poll.

The Castrol Honda World Touring Car Team driver placed first in TouringCarTimes.com's top 30 drivers of 2017, narrowly beating Supercars racer Scott McLaughlin.

WTCC champion Thed Björk was fourth with Esteban Guerrieri fifth at the end of his first full season of international touring car racing, while Tiago Monteiro received a special mention after his injury-curtailed season made him no longer eligible for the award.

Explaining its decision, TouringCarTimes.com said: "At the top of our list for 2017 is Hungarian superstar Norbert Michelisz. It was a close call between the Honda driver and Supercars hotshot McLaughlin, but the incredible challenges which Michelisz overcame this year is was clinched it for us. Thrown into the lead driver position after his team-mate's horrific accident, Michelisz had already been rebuilding his championship after a tough start and closed down on Volvo race-after-race. Although the title went to Thed Björk, Michelisz could have been champion were it not mistakes that his team made late in the season, with three pole positions and three main race victories."

Previous winners of TouringCarTimes.com's poll include Mattias Ekström, Shane van Gisbergen and former WTCC champion José María López and Yvan Muller. Click here to view TouringCarTimes.com's top 30 drivers of 2017.

Zdroj: fiawtcc.com