Norbert Kiss AND RÉVÉSZ RACING unleashes ‘Balu Junior’ in pursuit of record-breaking seventh title
Six-time champion unveils all-new truck ahead of title defence and chase for historic seventh crown
Norbert Kiss is no stranger to winning — but heading into the 2025 Goodyear FIA ETRC season, the reigning champion and his Révész Racing team are taking a bold risk. After years of domination in the trusted Balu, Kiss will arrive at the season opener in Misano in a completely new machine: Balu Junior.
It's a dramatic shift for the Hungarian star, who has won four consecutive titles from 2021 to 2024. The reigning champion is not only the man to beat — but also has history within reach. With Balu Senior, Kiss and the Révész Racing team had a package that was unmatched in performance and reliability. So why walk away from such a proven winner?
First impressions at the test in Most
For Kiss and the team, the decision wasn’t just about performance — it was a strategic move for long-term growth. At the official pre-season test in Most, Kiss reflected on the team’s decision and shared his initial feedback from the track:
“Overall, it was better than expected,” he said. “When you build a new truck, you expect a lot of trouble. But the first day at the test was quite good. We had a few issues, but fixed the most important ones quickly. The lap time was already good on day one and improved further on day two.”
“If we kept driving the old truck, it would have been easier. That whole thing was melted together really well and it was working great. Starting over makes things more complicated — I expect it to be more difficult.”
The move to a new build isn’t only about racing performance. For Kiss and the team, it’s part of a broader strategy that supports growth, sustainability, and engineering development within the squad.
“It’s a business case,” Kiss explained. “Mr. Révész has invested a lot — in the old truck and now in the new one. If he can sell the race truck, it supports the team. It’s also about proving that we can build a new one every few years and support customer drivers.”
Despite the new chassis, the team hasn’t strayed far from the successful formula. “The concept is the same,” said Kiss. “It worked very well the past seasons. There was no need to change the concept itself — we just polished and improved a few areas.” With continuity in concept and performance gains in sight, Kiss is cautiously optimistic as the season looms.
Eyes on History
The Hungarian enters the 2025 season as the man to beat — with history in his sights. Currently tied with Jochen Hahn on six European crowns, Kiss could stand alone at the top of the all-time rankings by the end of the year. However, this time, the path to glory looks more unpredictable than ever.
His closest competitors, though, are determined to make that road as difficult as possible. Jochen Hahn has gone all-in over the winter, building a brand-new truck from scratch for his 2025 campaign — a bold move aimed at giving him the edge in the title fight. Sascha Lenz has followed suit with a completely new machine of his own, while Antonio Albacete arrives on the grid with a heavily overhauled truck and renewed determination — and they’re all coming for Kiss.
Now, with history on the line, the question looms large: Can Norbert Kiss carve out a new era — and stand alone at the top of the all-time rankings?
We’ll get the first answers this weekend, as the 2025 season roars into life. Let the battle begin.