Coronel tops TCR Europe Qualifying at Le Castellet

Comtoyou Racing’s Tom Coronel will start TCR Europe’s Race 1 at the Circuit Paul Ricard from pole position after setting the fastest time in the Qualifying session in his Audi RS 3 LMS. Behind the Dutch driver will be the Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N cars of Felice Jelmini and Josh Files, while Coronel’s teammate Viktor Davidovski will be on pole for tomorrow’s reversed-grid Race 2.

In the twenty-minute Q1, the Janík Motorsport Elantra N cars of Mat’o Homola and Jáchym Galáš were the early pace-setters, but Jack Young (Halder Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R) went fastest with a lap of 2:12.740, ahead of Jelmini’s 2:12.780 and Davidovski’s 2:12.893. With less than three minutes of Q1 remaining, Pepe Oriola went P6 in a Brutal Fish Racing Honda Civic Type R. Then, in the final minute, Jelmini briefly went P1 with a lap of 2:12.513 before being beaten by his teammate Files’ 2:12.368; Klim Gavrilov ended third fastest with a time of 2:12.625. 

The ten-minute Q2 was the usual scramble to set lap times. The Volcano Motorsport CUPRA of Isidro Callejas was the first to set a competitive lap time (2:12.748) ahead of his teammate Gavrilov (2:12.981). Jelmini then went fastest with a lap of 2:12.080 before Coronel broke the 2:12 barrier with a 2:11.828. Files was P3 (2:12.232), Filippi P4 (2:12.362) and Girolami P5 (2:12.492). After the flag fell, Homola briefly improved his best time but the lap was deleted due to a track limit infringement and so he finished the session in P12.

Race 1 is scheduled to start at 13:30 local time (CEST) and will be streamed live on TCR TV.

Le Castellet – Qualifying
2:11.828 Tom Coronel (Comtoyou Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS II)
2:12.080 Felice Jelmini (Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N)
2:12.232 Josh Files (Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N)

Championship points
1. F. Girolami 72 pts; 2. Young 62; J. Files 62

Picture: TCR Europe