Dutch drivers on pole in both TCR Europe races

Local drivers had a perfect Qualifying session for the TCR Europe at Zandvoort and will start from pole position in both races.
Jaap van Lagen, called in from the ‘bench’ by the Leopard Lukoil Team, has perfectly fulfilled his role of Jean-Karl Vernay’s substitute and snatched the pole for tomorrow’s Race 1 in his Audi RS3 LMS with an impressive lap of 1:44.536 that was four tenths faster than the 1:44.980 previously posted by Mikel Azcona’s PCR Sport Cupra.
The other Dutch in the field, Azcona’s teammate Danny Kroes qualified tenth and thus acquired the right to start from the top-ten reverse grid for Monday’s Race 2.
Honda and Hyundai will share the second row for Race 1, as Attila Tassi (1:45.387) and Kris Richard (1:45.494) qualified third and fourth; the current championship leader Dušan Borković ranked fifth only 5 thousandths of a second behind his Target Competition teammate Richard. Jens Reno Møller will complete the front row of the grid for Race 2.
The most disappointed drivers today were Stian Paulsen and Julien Briché. After being second fastest in Q1 with a lap of 1:45.150 (that would have been good enough for third in Q2) the Norwegian was not able to go faster than 1:45.895 and was relegated in 13^th place. As for Briché, on his first appearance in the championship, missed the cut for Q2 when Møller improved under the chequered flag.
The first race will start tomorrow at 12:20 (live streaming at www.tcr-series.com and www.tcr-series.tv). 

Q1 – Van Lagen sets the pace from Paulsen
Jaap van Lagen improved the fastest lap time for TCR Europe, topping the Q1 part of the Qualifying with a lap of 1:44.821. He was the only driver capable of going under the 1:45 mark, while Stain Paulsen was second-fastest, completing a lap in 1:45.150. He was followed by Kris Richard who was only 39 thousandths of a second slower, while Josh Files was fourth, one further tenth adrift.
Mikel Azcona, Dániel Nagy, Attila Tassi, Dušan Borković, Reece Barr and Danny Kroes filled the position from fifth to tenth, all within nine tenths off the fastest time.
Jens Reno Møller provided the last thrill, clocking a 1:45.957 that was good enough for the 11^th position and kicked Julien Briché down to 13^th behind Igor Stefanowsky; this meant that the French missed the cut by only 10 tenths of a second.

Q2 – Van Lagen insists and claims the pole
Van Lagen put in a great effort and claimed pole position, improving further his lap times in Q2 to an impressive 1:44.536.
After the first turn of timed laps, Azcona topped the timesheet with a lap of 1:44.980, ahead of van Lagen’s 1:45.000, Tassi’s 1:45.387 and Richard’s 1:45.494.
Van Lagen was the only one of the top four to improve, snatching the pole, while Borković (1:45.499) and Barr (1:45.564) moved up to fifth and sixth.
The last one to improve was Files who climbed to seventh with a lap of 1:45.635.