Bruno Spengler and Tom Blomqvist share Pool Furious semi final wins

Romeo Ferraris driver Bruno Spengler and Cupra EKS’ Tom Blomqvist won their respective FIA ETCR Pool Furious semi finals at the Hungaroring on Sunday morning.

Spengler, Adrien Tambay (Cupra) and Jean-Karl Vernay (Hyundai) were on duty for the Pool Furious Semi Final 1.

Spengler got ahead at the start with Vernay in second place. Tambay’s Cupra e-Racer stopped shortly after the start, with the Frenchman restarting the car to rejoin the race far behind.

Vernay overtook for the lead at the main straight on lap two, with Spengler keeping the pressure with the Giulia ETCR. The Canadian closed up made contact with the Frenchman on the second lap, overtaking for the lead.

But the battle was far from over, with Vernay regaining the lead at the main straight and both going side-by-side through the first two corners.

Spengler forced the inside at Turn 2, with Vernay spinning off track. The Hyundai driver was be able to rejoin the track later. Spengler won at the chequered flag, ahead of Tambay and Vernay.

“I saw a little space at Turn 2, he closed the door and then opened it, so I went for the gap,” Spengler said after the race. “Let’s keep on pushing until the final now.”

“It looks like a gap for a motorbike!” said Hyundai Motorsport N’s boss Stefan Heinrich. “He said that the steering was bent, so let’s see if we can recover it for the next race.”

Blomqvist, Romeo Ferraris’ Luca Filippi and Hyundai Motorsport N’s Norbert Michelisz were next for the second semin final.

At the start Blomqvist charged ahead to take the lead ahead of Filippi and Michelisz. The Briton opened a gap at the front.

Michelisz closed the gap to Filippi on the last lap, but out braked himself in the last sector, unable to attack the Italian in the last two corners. Blomqvist won the Pool Furious semi final 2 ahead of Filippi and Michelisz.

“I had a good start, it jumped a bit, but managed to keep the position,” said Blomqvist after the race. “After that, it was a matter of controlling. Thank you so much to the team for fixing the car after yesterday.”

“The race was fun, except for the small mistake I made on the first lap,” added Michelisz. “I had to use a lot of power-up, which limited my chances later, but it was ok.”

“It was a good race. I think Blomqvist had more pace than us and we had some pressure towards the end, but I’m looking forward to the final now,” explained Filippi.

The ETCR returns to the track for the Pool Fast super final at 14:10 CEST.