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URRUTIA UNDERLINES WTCR POTENTIAL WITH DHL POLE DOUBLE AS EHRLACHER GETS A TITLE BOOST

Santiago Urrutia upstaged WTCR − FIA World Touring Automobile Cup title-chasing Yann Ehrlacher to land an emphatic DHL Pole Discover double at WTCR Budge of Aragón this afternoon.

The 24-one year-used Uruguayan, utilizing a China-constructed Lynk & Co 03 TCR on Goodyear tyres for Swedish team Cyan Efficiency Lynk & Co, became once fastest in both Qualifying Q1 and Q3 at MotorLand Aragón to claim the principle DHL Pole Positions of his WTCR profession and rating a blended 10 points.

Jean-Karl Vernay became once second fastest in Q1 aboard an Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by Romeo Ferraris for Crew Mulsanne with dwelling hero Mikel Azcona a solid third in his Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición. Yvan Muller became once fourth with nephew and Cyan Racing Lynk & Co team-mate Ehrlacher fifth.

Alternatively, Ehrlacher’s chief title rival Esteban Guerrieri became once a miles-off P18 for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport, the culmination of a advanced day for the Honda Civic Form R TCR-utilizing Argentine, who didn’t arrange a single sprint in Free Educate 2 resulting from a brake field.

With the outcomes of Q1 deciding the grid for Budge 1, Ehrlacher is terribly principal within the title ascendancy, even if Vernay remains a principal threat to his fellow Frenchman, whereas Muller can’t discounted. Guerrieri, faces the likelihood of starting all three races out of doors the points-paying top 15.

And after making it thru Q2 with the second fastest time within the help of Vernay, Urrutia became once fastest of all again in Q3 for the Budge 3 DHL Pole Discover prior to Ehrlacher, Nathanaël Berthon (Comtoyou DHL Crew Audi Sport RS 3 LMS) and Thed Björk, Urrutia’s Cyan Efficiency Lynk & Co team-mate. Vernay deserted his flying lap after a mistake despatched him temporarily off-song.

Urrutia strikes first in Q1

Santiago Urrutia battled it out with Jean-Karl Vernay to bewitch the DHL Pole Discover for Budge 1, doing sufficient to transfer quickest by proper 0.006s.

CUPRA-powered dwelling hero Mikel Azcona saved up his tremendous hold to transfer third fastest within the 20-minute session, prior to Cyan Racing’s Yvan Muller and Goodyear #FollowTheLeader Yann Ehrlacher, whose fifth fastest time added a show his WTCR title lead.

Nathanaël Berthon became once sixth quickest, adopted by Thed Björk, Gilles Magnus, BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse pair Norbert Michelisz and Gabriele Tarquini, whereas Néstor Girolami and Bence Boldizs moreover improved to Q2.

Esteban Guerrieri, Ehrlacher’s closest rival within the sprint to be topped King of WTCR for 2020, did not fabricate the cease 12 and progress to Q2. The Argentinian became once down in P18 after his brake issues in free prepare, which carried out lower than an hour sooner than qualifying started resulting from earlier fog delaying the agenda, and has suffered a noble blow to his WTCR title hopes a consequence.

Others to fail to spot Q2 integrated Tom Coronel (Comtoyou DHL Crew Audi Sport Audi RS 3 LMS) in P13, Attila Tassi (Honda), Luca Engstler (Hyundai) and Tiago Monteiro (Honda). Aurélien Comte, Luca Filippi, WTCR returnee Mitchell Cheah, José Manuel Sapag and Gábor Kismarty-Lechner moreover did not progress.

Vernay outpaces Urrutia in Q2

Jean-Karl Vernay outpaced Urrutia for the fastest time in Q2, his effort of 2m13.474s edging out the Lynk & Co driver by proper 0.251s. Cyan Efficiency Lynk & Co’s Thed Björk banked a leisurely lap to soar up to third prior to Yann Ehrlacher in fourth and Nathanaël Berthon in fifth to entire other folks that would progress to the Q3 shootout.

These who missed the sever integrated Spaniard Mikel Azcona in seventh, WTCR Rookie Driver award winner Gilles Magnus, 2019 King of WTCR Norbert Michelisz, Yvan Muller, Bence Boldizs and Néstor Girolami. Muller’s clutch of P10 palms him the reverse-grid DHL Pole Discover for Budge 2.

Urrutia on top in Q3 as Vernay hits pains

Vernay became once the principle to sprint within the Q3 shootout. Nonetheless the Frenchman bought it all immoral in his Crew Mulsanne Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by Romeo Ferraris, running extensive on the principle nook. He became once compelled to abandon his lap and routinely determine for fifth fastest. “Overall, it’s serene appropriate because we have a appropriate grid self-discipline for Budge 1 [second],” stated Vernay. “I eradicated myself, my fault, so it’s more straightforward to bewitch.”

Ehrlacher became once subsequent up and assign in a noble effort to bank a time of 2m13.623s. Now it became once Berthon’s flip in his Comtoyou DHL Crew Audi Sport entry, however he became once too cautious within the principle flip. His time became once proper 0.131s down on his countryman.

Björk became once the principle of the plentiful two Lynk & Cos to sprint, the Swede going third fastest within the help of Ehrlacher and Berthon – the trio slash up by proper 0.148s.

Now Urrutia, already fastest in both free prepare classes and in Q1, became once the final to transfer. The Uruguayan assign collectively a solid lap to claim the DHL Pole Discover from Ehrlacher.

Nonetheless Ehrlacher became once blissful alongside with his performance and self-discipline prior to the races on Sunday. “It became once a terribly appropriate lap, essentially the most traditional of my weekend and it came about in Q3,” stated Ehrlacher, whose reduction because the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader is 31 points prior to the deciding three races of 2020.

DRIVER QUOTES FROM THE DHL MEDIA ZONE

Nathanael Berthon (Comtoyou DHL Crew Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS)

“Initially, congratulations to all of the team, they’ve made an improbable job. Now we obtain 60 kilos within the vehicle, we had been absolutely no longer looking forward to that, so just a few work and we went within the actual path. Thanks to the team, a truly appropriate job from them and right here’s the final sprint of the season, so it’s consistently appropriate to obtain a appropriate damage. It’s no longer the sprint, needless to claim, however in qualifying it’s likely you’ll perchance maybe well also tell your sprint so I’m very blissful to be in Q3 again. I converse I didn’t leave out so many Q3s this one year, however this one became once the toughest to make for sure. The most fascinating lap overall of our day became once delivered in Q3, so I’m blissful moreover about my performance. Let’s look the next day, unfriendly our fingers and bewitch some points for the team and revel within the final sprint.”

Thed Björk (Cyan Efficiency Lynk & Co 03 TCR)

“Accurate thru the free prepare I became once pushing as principal as I could maybe maybe well and had a mega straggle into Turn 1, so I didn’t to find the lap times. Alternatively it felt so appropriate after we assign the brand new tyres on for qualifying to raise the lap times. Nonetheless I truly obtain to tell you, I’m even more blissful now for Yann because I know the stress he is below main – even whether it’s some distance a appropriate lead, it doesn’t topic. He’s main and he performs. I felt after Q3 admire it became once 2017 for him, so I’m very blissful. Even as you happen to will obtain the sprint, you to find the points.”

Yann Ehrlacher (Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR)

“It became once a terribly appropriate lap, my most efficient lap of the weekend and it came about in Q3, so I’m if truth be told blissful. I tell you always the stress is within the tyre, however one day I truly obtain to realise the stress is a minute bit someplace else and no longer only within the tyre! In those stipulations it’s no longer easy to pressure free and relax, so I’m very happy with what we have completed nowadays. We’re free to qualify wherever we need, so if truth be told if Santi needs to push and assign it on pole he is free of fee to damage so. Let’s look for the races, however we’ll have the option to a minimal of initiating P2 so I’m blissful about that.”

Yvan Muller (Cyan Racing Lynk & Co, Lynk & Co 03 TCR)

“It became once no longer truly the notion, the notion became once to assign the four blue vehicles within the cease 10, so we completed that. Sadly, my lap in Q2 became once no longer speedily sufficient, however it surely gave me the pole for Budge 2, which is no longer too wicked for the championship.”

Santiago Urrutia (Cyan Efficiency Lynk & Co 03 TCR)

“It’s a minute bit emotional to be right here. I obtain to disclose hello to my mum and my dad, I leave out them loads. Being on pole is principally crucial. I did a mistake the final weekend, so I’m truly blissful to be on pole. I’m grateful to Cyan and Lynk & Co, without them I wouldn’t be right here, so thanks to the team, all my team-mates and every person who has helped me – sponsors, household, every person. It’s been a season of rising and rising and studying. I made two pole positions nowadays so I’m blissful, we’re within the front with the fellows so I hope we can seize the championship with Yann and Cyan. I’m proper tremendous-blissful. Thank you to every person who has believed in me, it’s been a long wait to be right here within the sector championship, I left my house when I became once 14 years used and nowadays I’m right here enjoying this time. So thanks very principal.”

Jean-Karl Vernay (Crew Mulsanne, Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by Romeo Ferraris)

“Overall it’s serene appropriate, we have a appropriate starting grid for Budge 1. For sure it’s disappointing when you happen to damage the fastest time in Q2, I’m moderately irregular to survey what came about because I became once moderately stable. I knew we had been going to obtain the performance to be a minimal of within the cease three. At the least this time I eradicated myself, it became once my fault, so it’s principal more straightforward to bewitch it. I made a mistake. Alternatively it’s no longer carried out, we have two appropriate positions for Budge 2 and 3 and I shall proper obtain to be honest a minute bit more dapper to survey if I can advance reduction up front. It became once the final qualifying of the one year so it’s disappointing to damage admire this and I’m sorry to the fellows. The vehicle became once moderately improbable again, however I tousled – that’s all.”

WHAT’S NEXT?

Sunday’s WTCR season-deciding races are scheduled to happen as follows:

Budge 1: 09h15 (10 laps)

Budge 2: 13h15 (10 laps)

Budge 3: 15h15 (12 laps)

All timings in CET, are provisional and field to swap


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