Qualifying report

WTCR Vila Real

Portugal WTCR: Huff grabs pole in red-flagged qualifying

Rob Huff secured his second pole position of the 2018 World Touring Car Cup season in a heavily-interrupted first qualifying session in Vila Real, heading a Sebastien Loeb Racing 1-2.

Jack Cozens

Edited: Jun 23, 2018, 3:00 PM

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Pole position for Rob Huff, Sébastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR

In-between four red flag stoppages, Huff recorded a best time of 2m00.924s to beat teammate Mehdi Bennani to pole by 0.027 seconds.

Huff had been quickest after the first two red flags with a best time of 2m01s in his SLR Volkswagen, but was able to shave a further seven hundredths off his time with a fastest second sector of all.

The Briton then went quicker still at the start of his first flying lap after a third red flag period had ended with the fastest time of all in the first sector, but was prevented an opportunity to improve when Jean-Karl Vernay put his WRT Audi in the wall.

Officials finally declared the session would not restart after that incident, with two minutes left on the clock.

Norbert Michelisz was the fastest Hyundai driver and will start Saturday's first race from third in his BRC Hyundai, ahead of championship leader Yann Ehrlacher (Munnich Motorsport Honda).

Ehrlacher had one of his earlier efforts removed for improving fractionally after the second red flag had been shown, but improved later on to dislodge practice pacesetter Thed Bjork from fourth.

Bjork was the first driver to set a representative time in the session, but ended up qualifying more than half a second slower than he had gone in practice in his YMR Hyundai.

The 2017 World Touring Car champion will share the third row with teammate Yvan Muller, who hit the barrier exiting the second chicane just before the session's first red flag.

John Filippi was seventh in his Campos Racing Seat ahead of Ehrlacher's Munnich teammate Esteban Guerrieri, Gabriele Tarquini (BRC Hyundai) and Vernay.

Gianni Morbidelli caused the second red flag when he hit the barrier exiting the second chicane in his Alfa Romeo Giulietta and will start 24th.

Wildcard entrants Edgar Florindo and Jose Rodrigues will start from 26th and 27th respectively, the latter failing to set a time in his older-generation Honda.

Qualifying results:

Pos.DriverCarTimeGap 1 Rob Huff Volkswagen 2'00.924 2 Mehdi Bennani Volkswagen 2'00.951 0.027 3 Norbert Michelisz Hyundai 2'01.280 0.356 4 Yann Ehrlacher Honda 2'01.445 0.521 5 Thed Bjork Hyundai 2'01.683 0.759 6 Yvan Muller Hyundai 2'01.765 0.841 7 John Filippi Seat 2'02.075 1.151 8 Esteban Guerrieri Honda 2'02.109 1.185 9 Gabriele Tarquini Hyundai 2'02.168 1.244 10 Jean-Karl Vernay Audi 2'02.357 1.433 11 James Thompson Honda 2'02.540 1.616 12 Zsolt Szabo Seat 2'02.592 1.668 13 Pepe Oriola Seat 2'02.742 1.818 14 Benjamin Lessennes Honda 2'02.882 1.958 15 Aurelien Comte Peugeot 2'02.942 2.018 16 Tom Coronel Honda 2'03.211 2.287 17 Nathanael Berthon Audi 2'03.223 2.299 18 Gordon Shedden Audi 2'03.333 2.409 19 Frederic Vervisch Audi 2'03.390 2.466 20 Fabrizio Giovanardi Alfa Romeo 2'03.412 2.488 21 Aurelien Panis Audi 2'03.469 2.545 22 Mat'o Homola Peugeot 2'03.479 2.555 23 Norbert Nagy Seat 2'03.710 2.786 24 Gianni Morbidelli Alfa Romeo 2'03.958 3.034 25 Denis Dupont Audi 2'04.450 3.526 26 Edgar Florindo Seat 2'05.462 4.538 27 Jose Rodrigues Honda

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