Michelisz wins pole position for Race 3
BRC Racing’s Norbert Michelisz topped all three stages of today’s WTCR Qualifying at the Slovakia Ring and won pole position for tomorrow’s Race 3; Aurélien Conte will complete the front row after posting the second fastest lap.
Michelisz emerged as the fastest from Q1, leaping on the top of the timesheet with his last lap of 2:10.537 and beating the Campos Racing duo of Race 1 winner Pepe Oriola (2:10.706) and John Filippi (2:10.711).
Gaps were slim, with the top 17 covered by less than eight tenths of a second and there were a few surprises. Norbert Nagy (6th) and Nathanaël Berthon (9th) made it to Q2, while some top drivers were kicked off: Yann Ehrlacher (13th), Thed Björk (19th), local hero Mat’o Homola (20th) and Rob Huff (25th).
After an initial effort from Gabriele Tarquini (2:11.150) the Q2 part of the session saw Michelisz on top once again. The Hungarian clocked a 2:10.330 that nobody was able to beat. Comte posted the second fastest lap (2:10.635) ahead of an impressive Filippi (2:10.932). Muller and Esteban Guerrieri completed the top five, while Oriola (sixth) and Tarquini (ninth) failed to advance to Q3.
All the first three drivers who took the track for Q3 made some mistakes, meaning that Guerrieri, Muller (who pocketed two precious points for the championship classification) and Filippi will fill the positions from third to fifth on the grid for Race 3.
Comte improved again with a lap of 2:10.577, but Michelisz proved he was the fastest man today claiming pole position with a lap of 2:10.340.
Zengő Motorsport’s Nagy put in an impressive performance: he made it to Q2 and eventually qualified his Cupra in a brilliant 10th position that means the pole on the reverse grid for this afternoon’s Race 2. Tarquini ranked ninth and will line up alongside him.
The second race will start at 19:00 (CET).
