Norbert Michelisz leads BRC Hyundai 1-2 in second Hungary qualifying
Norbert Michelisz has claimed pole position for Race 3 at the Hungaroring, after outqualifying his BRC Racing Team team-mate Gabriele Tarquini by four-tenths of a second.
The Hungarian also set the all-time lap record in Q2, with a time of 1:52.176, faster than his practice lap from yesterday.
The biggest name to fall out in the first part of qualifying was 2017 WTCC champion Thed Björk, whose first timed lap was wiped out by the officials due to a track limits infringement. The Swede’s next lap was only good enough to put him in 20th place, which is where he’ll start both of this afternoon’s races in the YMR Hyundai i30 N TCR.
In Q2, Norbert Michelisz quickly threw down the gauntlet, blowing his lap record from yesterday out of the water with a time of 1:52.176.
With just ten minutes around the 4.4km circuit, there was generally only time for one run, which looked set to be costly for wild card Attila Tassi, whose first lap was also deleted due to track limits in the KCMG Honda Civic.
The 18-year-old Hungarian was able to get back out and just get to the chequered flag in time to set one more run, in which he was able to set the ninth fastest time, knocking the Volkswagen of Rob Huff out of the top ten, and dropping the other wild card entry of M1RA’s Daniel Nagy to tenth, which puts the two Hungarians on the front row for Race 2, with Nagy on pole in the #99 Hyundai.
In the top five final shootout, a miscue by Boutsen Ginion Racing meant young star Benjamin Lessennes failed to get out to set a time.
The two Münnich Hondas followed, with an error from Race 1 winner Yann Ehrlacher meaning he qualified fourth, half a second behind team-mate Guerrieri.
The two BRC team-mates went head-to-head, and although Tarquini was fastest in the first sector, a quick second sector and an incredible last sector put Michelisz back on pole for the second day in a row.
The second race is scheduled for 15:30 CET, with Race 3 at 16:55 CET.
