Frédéric Vervisch sets pole position for Race 3
It was Comtoyou Racing’s Frédéric Vervisch who emerged as the fastest in the second Qualifying at Marrakech that awarded the pole position for today’s Race 3.
The Belgian driver and his Audi RS 3 LMS topped Q2 with an impressive lap of 1:24.590 that set a new record for TCR cars on the Moroccan circuit, and then they were also fastest in Q3 with a lap of 1:24.721.
Cyan Racing teammates Yvan Muller (1:25.091) and Thed Björk (1:25.224) repeated their results in yesterday’s Qualifying 1 and placed their Lynk&Co 03 cars in second and third positions. Tiago Monteiro was a brilliant fourth fastest in the KCMG Honda Civic ahead of Mikel Azcona. The reigning TCR Europe champion created a surprise on his first appearance in the WTCR and in Marrakech; the young Spaniard set the second fastest lap in both Q1 and Q2, outpacing many experienced drivers.
Once again the Qualifying proved incredibly close, with 24 cars covered by eight tenths in Q1, which left some top guns – including Norbert Michelisz, Andy Priaulx and Rob Huff – out of Q2. Ma Qing Hua was the first who failed to make the cut, beaten by Gabriele Tarquini for the 12th place by 0.036 seconds.
At the end of Q2, Yann Ehrlacher, yesterday’s race winner Esteban Guerrieri, Jean-Karl Vernay, Tarquini, Nicky Catsburg, Néstor Girolami and Gordon Shedden remained out. Hyundai fellow drivers Catsburg and Tarquini will share the front row of the top-ten reverse grid for Race 2 that will start at 16:45 local time (17:45 CET) on the distance of 18 laps. Race 3 will follow at 18:15 (19:15 CET) over 21 laps.
Qualifying 2
1. 1:24.721 – Frédéric Vervisch (Comtoyou Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS)
2. 1:25.091 – Yvan Muller (Cyan Racing, Lynk&Co 03)
3. 1:25.224 – Thed Björk (Cyan Racing, Lynk&Co 03)
4. 1:25.593 – Tiago Monteiro (KCMG, Honda Civic FK7
5. 1:25.639 – Mikel Azcona (PWR Racing, CUPRA)
Championship points
1. Guerrieri 30 pts; 2. Björk 26; 3. Girolami 18
