Esteban Guerrieri calls for qualifying format rethink

Esteban Guerrieri has called for a re-evaluation of the how the running order is decided the for the top five shootout (Q3), as the Münnich Motorsport driver believes it unfairly hampers the faster driver.

Guerrieri now officially has the qualifying lap record at Wuhan after setting a time of 1:50.150 in the second segment, in fact eight seconds quicker than the WTCC record which was held in almost monsoon conditions last year.

This earned him the last spot in the Q3 shootout, with the order of Q3 set by the top five from Q2 reversed, but Guerrieri believes that under the TCR regulations, that hands the first cars an unfair advtantage.

“We showed some very good pace in Q2, but in Q3 I think the situation is not fair between Q2 and Q3. As I was fastest in Q2, I end up going out last, and by then my rear tyre pressures had cooled down and we had a different tyre pressure and that cost me the three or four tenths.

“I think this is something to review for next year, as it didn’t happen in previous years because we had tyre warmers.”