Halder and Young score a Honda 1-2 in TCR Europe Qualifying
At Portimão’s Autódromo do Algarve, Mike Halder and his Halder Motorsport teammate Jack Young finished the Qualifying session for the opening race of the 2022 TCR Europe in first and second places in their Honda Civic cars, with the Target Competition Hyundai Elantra N of Nicola Baldan in third position. The reversed top-ten grid will see another Honda on pole for Race 2, with the Brutal Fish Racing Civic of Pepe Oriola having finished Qualifying in tenth place.
In the first stage of the session, Jáchym Galáš, Mat’o Homola, Klim Gavrilov, Jack Young and Tom Coronel took it in turns to top the timesheet. With around ten minutes of Q1 left, Young went fastest again with a 1:51.464 while everyone else headed for the pits and a change of rubber. When they emerged, a frantic scramble for the top 12 places ensued, with first Gavrilov (1:51.366) and then Josh Files (1:51.350) going P1 and Franco Girolami going P3 behind the pair with a 1:51.419. In the final few minutes, Mike Halder went P11 with a 1:51.898 before Baldan edged him down to P12 and the last spot of the twelve drivers who would go through to Q2.
The ten-minute Q2 was the usual scramble for positions, with Files setting the first quick lap time (1:51.680) although he was immediately beaten by Halder (1:51.488) with Oriola in P3 (1:51.843). First Gavrilov (1:51.470) and then Halder again (1:51.244) went P1 and this time the German driver wouldn’t be beaten. Behind Halder, Baldan (1:51.381) and then Young (1:51.371) moved into P2. Files had a late tyre change and started his last lap with around a minute left on the clock but could only set the 8th fastest time, while a small lock-up on Girolami’s last lap meant he would end the session in P6.
Race 1 is scheduled to start at 15:15 local time this afternoon (16:15CEST) and will be streamed live on TCR TV.
Portimão – Qualifying
1:51.244 Mike Halder (Halder Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R)
1:51.371 Jack Young (Halder Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R)
1:51.381 Nicola Baldan (Target Competition, Hyundai Elantra N)
Championship points
1. Mk. Halder 10 pts; 2. Young 10; 3. Gavrilov 8
Picture: TCR Europe
