Michelisz and Azcona lock the front row for Vallelunga Race 1

BRC Hyundai Squadra Corse teammates Norbert Michelisz and Mikel Azcona locked the front row of the grid for Race 1 of the Kumho TCR World Tour and TCR Italian Festival event at Vallelunga. 

After posting the fastest lap of 1:40.363 in Q1, Michelisz improved by twelve thousandths of a second in Q2, claiming the pole position with the time of 1:40.351. Azcona, at the wheel of the team’s second Elantra N, shadowed the Hungarian during his fastest lap and was classified second, only 15 thousandths behind. 

“It was a very good lap with Mikel and I helping each other. We planned the strategy like in Portimão because we realised that to be competitive we need to give slipstream to each other. So, in the end we shared the runs, and I did my best in the second lap in Q2 and it was enough to put the car on pole,” said Michelisz. 

Azcona echoed: “I think this is a fantastic result for the team. Norbi on pole, me on P2 is the best we can achieve and I feel delighted to go into the first race starting on the first row with my teammate.”

Thed Björk’s Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 03 and Frédéric Vervisch’s Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS will fill the second row of the grid as their drivers were clocked at 1:40.505 and 1:40.516 respectively.

“I was on pole for a while, I enjoyed it for a couple of corners then I was pushed down to third. Norbi and Azcona did a great job. Congratulations to them, for me I feel great with P3 and I have a shot for the win tomorrow, for sure,” Björk stated. 

John Filippi was the best of the race-by-race entries and qualified ninth in another Comtoyou Audi, meaning that he will start Race 2 from P2 of the top-ten reversed grid, alongside the Lynk & Co of Ma Qing Hua that will sit on the pole position.

Filippi declared: “It was a pretty good session. I don’t fight for a championship, I’m here just for one event, so it’s good to start the race without pressure and to know that I can push to the limit.” 

At the end of Q1, Italian teenager Marco Butti, on his maiden appearance in BRC’s third Elantra car, was the first of the drivers who did not make the cut, being outpaced by the SP Compétition-run CUPRA Leon of Aurélien Comte by 89 thousandths.

The 15 points awarded for the pole position meant that Michelisz stretched his leading margin in the standings to 18 points over Cyan Racing’s Yann Ehrlacher.

Race 1 is due to start tomorrow at 11:10 local time/CEST, with live streaming on tcr-series.tv and YouTube.

Vallelunga – Qualifying 

1. Norbert Michelisz (BRC Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N), 1:40.351

2. Mikel Azcona (BRC Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N), 1:40.366

3. Thed Björk (Cyan Racing, Lynk & Co 03 FL), 1:40.505

Championship points

1. N. Michelisz, 109 pts; 2. Y. Ehrlacher, 91; 3. S. Urrutia, 80 

Picture: WSC Group