Young sets pole in Spain, as Girolami clinches TCR Europe title

Jack Young was fastest in both stages of TCR Europe’s Qualifying at the Circuit Barcelona-Catalunya and will start Race 1 from pole position, while fourth place in Q2 was enough for Franco Girolami to secure the title. With 80 points available from the season’s two final races, Girolami cannot be caught as he is 89 points ahead of Josh Files. 

Early morning fog caused the Qualifying starting 55 minutes later. Once Q1 got underway, the first competitive lap times were set by John Filippi (1:56.772) and then Jáchym Galáš (1:55.856).

With twelve minutes gone, Tom Coronel (1:54.612) and then Files (1:54.377) took turns in going fastest before Young went quickest with a lap of 1:53.942 and his teammate Mike Halder went P3 ahead of Coronel (1:54.596). Girolami was fifth at that point (1:54.762) while Young improved on the next lap with a 1:53.809.

With less than five minutes remaining, Coronel improved to P2 (1:54.226) and Girolami went fourth (1:54.440), while Young improved his best lap time yet again (1:53.484).

Going through to Q2 were Young, Coronel, Files, Girolami, Callejas, Mike Halder, Pepe Oriola, Filippi, Frédéric Vervisch, Galáš, Nicola Baldan and Michelle Halder. 

In Q2, Young set the first competitive time (1:53.909) ahead of Coronel (1:54.311), Callejas (1:54.520) and Files (1:54.663). Girolami’s first flying lap was 1:58.358, the slowest of the twelve drivers, but after a quick stop for tyres, the Argentine went back out and set a time of 1:54.523 to go P4, ahead of Files. By outscoring his only remaining rival, Girolami secured the title.

Young will start Race 1 from pole position ahead of Coronel, with Callejas and Girolami on Row 2, while Files will be at the back of the grid having changed his Hyundai’s engine before the weekend. Thanks to the reversed grid, Filippi who had posted the tenth fastest lap in Q2 will start Race 2 from the pole alongside Pepe Oriola.

Barcelona – Qualifying 

1:53.909 Jack Young (Halder Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R)

1:54.311 Tom Coronel (Comtoyou Racing, Audi RS 3 LMS II)

1:54.320 Isidro Callejas (Volcano Motorsport, CUPRA Leon Competición)

Championship points

1. F. Girolami 361 pts; 2. J. Files 272; 3. K. Gavrilov 249

Picture: TCR Europe