Hyundai Motor's Elantra N TCR claims second win of season at French circuit

Hyundai Motor's touring car racer, the New Elantra N TCR, claimed its second victory of the season at the 2026 TCR World Tour, the top-tier global touring car series.

Hyundai Motor announced Sunday that the New Elantra N TCR — sold domestically as the New Avante N TCR — won Round 3 of the 2026 TCR World Tour, held July 4-5 (local time) at Circuit Paul Ricard in France.

Circuit Paul Ricard is one of France's premier motorsport venues, having previously hosted Formula One races. The track features long straight sections combined with varied corners that create frequent overtaking opportunities, and is regarded as a circuit where high-speed stability and cornering balance play a decisive role in race outcomes.

The BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse team competed at the event with the New Elantra N TCR. Team driver Mikel Azcona crossed the finish line first in the opening race on July 5 to take the victory.

Azcona earned 30 points for the race win, adding 15 points from qualifying and 20 points for a fourth-place finish in the second race, for a total of 65 points from the round alone. The haul lifted him to second place in the 2026 season driver standings.

Teammate Norbert Michelisz also added 44 points during the round, placing third in the driver standings. BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse held second place in the team standings with a cumulative 332 points.

"We are delighted to have won at Circuit Paul Ricard, a venue with the prestige of having hosted Formula One," a Hyundai Motor official said. "We will continue to work hard to deliver strong results for the rest of the season."

The TCR World Tour is a customer racing series in which professional racing teams purchase manufacturer-built cars and compete independently, without direct factory entries. The broader TCR series encompasses around 40 competitions worldwide — spanning continental and national events — with up to around 650 drivers taking part.

The TCR World Tour is the top-tier competition within that network, running over eight rounds this year. Following the season opener in Italy, Round 2 in Spain and the current French round, the series moves on to Portugal, South Korea, China and Macao.

Round 4 takes place July 11-12 (local time) at the Vila Real International Circuit in Portugal.