WTCR – Berthon blasts to a WTCR DHL pole double in Slovakia

WTCR Glide of Slovakia, Slovakia Ring, October 9-11: Qualifying list

Nathanaël Berthon claimed a pair of DHL Pole Positions at WTCR Glide of Slovakia by topping both Q1 and the Q3 shootout in qualifying at the Slovakia Ring.

The Comtoyou DHL Crew Audi Sport driver was once quickest in the 20-minute Q1 session to stable the DHL Pole Net page for Glide 1 and the first aspects of the weekend. He then also topped the Q3 shootout to order the DHL Pole Net page for Glide 3 in his Goodyear-geared up Audi RS 3 LMS.

“I gave it the entire lot,” acknowledged Berthon, who also started from the entrance at WTCR Glide of Belgium closing month and is eligible for the WTCR Trophy. “I was once presumably too conservative in Q2. I knew I had the tempo, however I just received into Q3. After which that lap – I don’t know! I made a runt mistake at the closing nook, however I’m very chuffed. Now I beget two potentialities from pole location.”

Berthon most productive in Q1 as high names omit out

Behind Berthon in Q1, the varied aspects scorers were Nicky Catsburg, who banked a obedient late lap to leap up to 2nd quickest in his Liqui Moly-backed Hyundai, Crew Mulsanne’s Jean-Karl Vernay (Alfa Romeo) in third, Gilles Magnus (Audi) in fourth and Gabriele Tarquini in fifth for BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Squadra Corse.

There were some high-profile names who didn’t make the raze 12 and overlooked out on progressing to Q2. They included Tiago Monteiro (Honda) in P13, Yvan Muller (Cyan Racing Lynk & Co) in P14 and Goodyear #FollowTheLeader Yann Ehrlacher, who was once disappointed to be down in P15.

“We can start all three races in P15,” he acknowledged. “It is now not the most productive set up. We just need to spend some staunch aspects. That’s the method it’s far and we need to tackle that. We undoubtedly need to receive some tempo from somewhere.”

Bence Boldizs (Zengő Motorsport CUPRA Leon Competición) was once P16, one set up before team-mate Mikel Azcona, who had topped the first free be conscious session. Azcona had an off at the Turn 3 hairpin when he out-braked himself. Others to fail to spot out included wildcard entry Petr Fulin (VEXTA DOMY CUPRA) in P18 and Cyan Performance Lynk & Co driver Thed Björk − currently 2nd in the WTCR aspects − in P21. WTCR returnee Aurélien Comte reported a suspected engine field in his Vuković Motorsport Renault Mégane RS TCR in P20.

Concern for Tassi, cheers for Catsburg in Q2

The 10-minute Q2 session was once interrupted by a pink-flag stoppage after Attila Tassi crashed his ALL-INKL.DE Münnich Motorsport Honda and bounced into a barrier. His team-mate Monteiro acknowledged: “Attila’s OK, he gave the thumbs up. He’s just pissed off, no doubt. We exit on cool tyres and this might perhaps just happen. The track is colder than in be conscious and just a minute extra slippery.”

The session restarted with six minutes left on the TAG Heuer timing monitors. Catsburg over again stumbled on tempo when it counted to qualify for the Q3 shootout as quickest, with a time of 2m09.586s. The others to graduate were Magnus, Norbert Michelisz, Berthon and WTCR Trophy aspects chief Tom Coronel.

Those to fail to spot out included Esteban Guerrieri’s Honda in sixth and Vernay’s Alfa Romeo in seventh. Santiago Urrutia was once eighth in his Lynk & Co, Luca Filippi’s Alfa Romeo in ninth and Néstor Girolami in P10 – this capability that he’s going to start the reverse grid Glide 2 from the DHL Pole Net page for ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport.

“I knew Attila was once out and Tarquini was once sluggish [with a loose front splitter], so I need to thank the team for this,” acknowledged Girolami, who’s joint 2nd in the aspects with Björk, 31 at the support of Goodyear #FollowTheLeader Ehrlacher. “The auto feels staunch and we need to battle. The following day is a undoubtedly hard plod day and it’s a staunch various with Yann down in P15.”

Magnus goes first in Q3, Berthon goes quickest

In the Q3 shootout, Magnus was once the first to plod. The Comtoyou Racing Audi pickle a benchmark of 2m10.274s. Michelisz was once up subsequent and no topic proving slower in the first sector, made up for it over the comfort of his lap to pause up 0.481s sooner than Magnus’s effort. “The lap was once good and elegant, however now not ample likelihood,” acknowledged the WTCR Rookie Driver. “I’m now not chuffed with my lap, to be staunch.”

Now Berthon stepped up. Having been quickest in Q1 and in the 2nd free be conscious session earlier in the day, the Frenchman was once fired up to for the DHL Pole Net page – and sure ample he stumbled on the tempo to lap 0.283s sooner than Michelisz to leap to the raze.

Now most productive Coronel and Catsburg might perhaps knock him from the raze residence. Coronel pushed arduous, however might perhaps most productive arrange the third most productive time at the support of Michelisz and before Magnus. However Catsburg had previously pulled colossal laps out to set up himself into competitors. Would possibly possibly presumably perhaps he manufacture it over again? No longer this time. The Dutchman went third, at the support of Michelisz and before Coronel and Magnus.

Glide 1 at WTCR Glide of Slovakia takes set up on Sunday morning at 09h15 local time.

DHL MEDIA ZONE DRIVER QUOTES

Nathanael Berthon

“I gave the entire lot. I was once presumably just a minute too conservative on the Q2. I didn’t are looking out out for to make a screw up, I knew we had the tempo to manufacture one thing well. I was once too conservative undoubtedly and we managed to be finally 5, which to be staunch I was once skittish I’d be out of. This lap – I don’t know. To be staunch, admire Zolder I just gave it the entire lot. I learned during free be conscious and just put every collectively. There was once a runt mistake at the closing nook, however the entire lot was once good. Very chuffed for the team, very chuffed for myself as well and I mediate we start two times on pole. I beget two potentialities.”

Nicky Catsburg

“The closing nook wasn’t so comfortable. I don’t mediate I misplaced too great time, the lap was once rather elegant and rather end to Norbi’s time and to be staunch I’m very chuffed with the we had as we train in qualifying. I mediate we’re starting P2 for Glide 1 and P3 in Glide 3, so that you just might perhaps be staunch from where we were in Zolder, which was once my closing plod, I mediate we might perhaps moreover be very chuffed. I don’t mediate I beget great, if any aspects at all any. However let’s strive and alternate that tomorrow.”

Tom Coronel

“In the first qualification I overshot myself so I had to manufacture my lap time in my 2nd lap and the tyres are already loads down. So finally I managed P8. Then in Q2 I as P5, so at the least you realize you are finally 5. That is continuously an exhilarating one. Assuredly I am quite tough here however I was once making too many errors. I didn’t feel 100 per cent with the auto, however peaceable I mediate we did a staunch job. It’s manner support I was once on this form of location and now we are support.”

Gilles Magnus

“Effective and elegant, however now not ample likelihood, now not undoubtedly on the restrict. No longer undoubtedly chuffed with the lap to be staunch. So, I’m sorry for the team for the reason that automobile is de facto honorable and the lap must were higher. I was once struggling just a minute bit unless Q2. I mediate there I undoubtedly stumbled on my tempo. So yeah, trying forward to the comfort of the weekend.”

Norbert Michelisz

“To be staunch, I realised quite soon I don’t beget the tempo of Nicky. He did an comely lap in Q2 and my aim in Q3 was once to manufacture a lap with none errors. OK, I presumably can beget gone one tenth sooner, however you peep it place now not beget made any distinction in positions and I’m quite chuffed with the efficiency because we beget managed to come step-by-step as we train, and I’m undoubtedly maintaining my fingers crossed now for Nicky because bigger than anyone, he on this circuit can manufacture some magic.”