Huff is on pole for Race 3 and Guerrieri for Race 2

Rob Huff proved once again how fast he is in Macau, placing his Sébastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen Golf on pole for Sunday’s Race 3; he beat Andy Priaulx by two tenths in what was the best Qualifying result for the Lynk&Co driver since he returned to the World Touring Cars.
None of the title contenders scored in the session. Esteban Guerrieri settled in a crucial tenth position that gave him the pole for race 2, while Yvan Muller and Thed Björk qualified sixth and eighth. After being fourth fastest in Q1, Norbert Michelisz crashed into Gordon Shedden’s spinning car and then couldn’t take part in Q2, meaning that he will start 12^th in both Sunday’s races.
In Q1 Huff set the pace with a lap of 2:29.019 that beat Nicky Catsburg’s 2:29.163 and Yann Ehrlacher’s 2:29.182. All the title contenders made the cut for Q2: Michelisz fourth, Muller sixth, Björk 11^th and Guerrieri 12^th. However, damage to his Hyundai meant that Michelisz sat out the rest of the session.
The action had been already disrupted once by the red flag, when Terence Tse crashed at the Police bend moments after Jim Ka To had crashed at Fishermens’ following contact with Robert Dahlgren.
Huff encored in Q2 with a provisional fastest lap of 2:28.445 that he improved to 2:27.963; he was followed by Catsburg (2:28.373), Priaulx (2:28.586), Jean-Karl Vernay (2:28.780) and Johan Kristoffersson (2:28.845), while Muller failed to advance to Q3 by 15 thousandths and Guerrieri took P10 and the pole for Race 2.
Huff made three out of three with the fastest lap in Q3. The first to hit the track, Huff posted a 2:28.538 that was not to be beaten. Only Priaulx, the last one to leave the pits, got close to it and ranked second, two tenths behind, while Vernay clocked the third fastest lap ahead of Catsburg and Kristoffersson who spoiled his chances by hitting the wall at Moorish Hill.
The WTCR competitors will return into action tomorrow with Race 1 that is scheduled to start at 14:55 local time (7:55 CET).

Qualifying 2
1. 2:28.538 – Rob Huff (Sébastien Loeb Racing, Volkswagen Golf GTI)
2. 2:28.744 – Andy Priaulx (Cyan Racing, Lynk&Co 03)
3. 2:29.336 – Jean-Karl Vernay (Team WRT, Audi RS 3 LMS)
4. 2:29.531 – Nicky Catsburg (BRC Lukoil Racing, Hyundai i30 N)
5. 2:31.369 – Johan Kristoffersson (Séb. Loeb Racing, Volkswagen Golf GTI)

Championship points
1. Guerrieri 288 pts; 2. Michelisz 286 pts; 3. Björk 248