Yann Ehrlacher has claimed his first Kumho FIA TCR World Tour pole position since Vila Real last year, and the first for Geely Cyan Racing, with the French driver surprised at his pace in the qualifying session.
Ehrlacher set the best time of the weekend in Q2, with a time of 1:17.717 enough to secure him his seventh career pole in the TCR World Tour.
“To get the first pole for Geely is great,” he said. “It’s a little unexpected to be honest. We were quick in practice, but you never know who isn’t showing their pace. In Q2 the track was getting a bit slower, and then on my final attempt I really needed to put everything together, and I was happy with my lap,”
Ehrlacher will start ahead of his teammates Thed Björk and Santiago Urrutia, with the BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse Elantra cars of Mikel Azcona and Norbert Michelisz right behind in fourth and fifth.
“The Hyundai cars are going to be quick, and Azcona is in good form as well, as qualifying ahead of Norbi on 40kg means he’s got good confidence here. For our team, we’re not all ‘the same blue’ at this stage of the year. We are blue, but we have different mirrors. I’d like to have my teammates to help me, but I’m thankful to Cyan Racing that they let us race. Of course. we won’t take as many risks as we would with another opponent, but there are no rules between us. We don’t take a teammate out or compromise a teammate, but if one guy makes a better launch than me into Turn 1, that’s the game, and it’ll be better for the show.”
Picture: WSC/Fastclick-AvensImages
