Magnus and Coronel make Audi front row for the Qualifying Race

Comtoyou Racing teammates Gilles Magnus and Tom Coronel placed their Audi RS 3 LMS cars on the front row for the Touring Car Cup’s Qualification Race within the frame of the FIA Motorsport Games at Circuit Paul Ricard.

Team Belgium’s Magnus was first to set a competitive lap in the 30-minute Qualifying, clocking 2:12.492, with Team Netherlands’ Coronel second in 2:13.332, but Jack Young jumped on top with a lap of 2:12.419 in his team Team Ireland Honda Civic Type R run by ALM Motorsport. Magnus stroke back improving to 2:12.032 but had the time disallowed for a track limit infringement, and so was Coronel who provisionally topped the list with 2:12.280. His lead was short-lived as Young was clocked at 2:11.975, the first to complete a lap under the 2:12 mark. Magnus was not done yet and moved ahead again with a lap of 2:11.831 that was not to be beaten and, by the end of the session, Coronel posted the second fastest lap of 2:11.966.

The top three were in a league of their own; behind them, Team Sweden’s Bäckman (2:12.507) was fourth in the third Comtoyou Racing Audi car ahead of Team Spain’s Isidro Callejas (2:12.705) in the Volcano Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición and Team Argentina’s Ignacio Montenegro (2:12.919) in another ALM Motorsport Honda Civic. Teddy Clairet of Team France was seventh, the fastest in a Peugeot 308 car (2:13.070), while his Australian teammate Aaron Cameron qualified 13th, but will start the Qualification Race from the back of the grid after an engine change.

The top ten were rounded off by Team Hong Kong’s Andy Yan (ALM Motorsport, Honda), Team Latvia’s Valters Zviedris (LV Racing, Audi) and Team Switzerland’s Gabriel Lusquiños (Volcano Motorsport, CUPRA).

The Qualification Race will start tomorrow morning at 11:30 to establish the grid for the Main Race.

Le Castellet – Qualifying

2:11.831 Gilles Magnus (Team Belgium, Audi RS 3 LMS)

2:11.966 Tom Coronel (Team Netherlands, Audi RS 3 LMS)

2:11.975 Jack Young (Team Ireland, Honda Civic Type R)

2:12.507 Andreas Bäckman (Team Sweden, Audi RS 3 LMS)

2:12.704 Isidro Callejas (Team Spain, CUPRA Leon Competición)

Picture: FIA Motorsport Games