TEXACO Team AMS has dominated the first ever qualifying session in TCR European Endurance’s history. The Turkish outfit has set the fastest time and consequently the pole position in the overall standings with Konukoglu/Brigliadori (Audi RS3), who finished the session ahead of Pinar/Ozen (Audi RS3 Gen 1) on the top of the standings, with the latter pair able to bring a car built before 2018 back in the front row of the grid. The DSG class was also dominated by the Turks, with Okyay/Kacan (Audi RS3 DSG) able to set the fastest time.
Q1: during the first 15-minute qualifying session, Turkey’s Turgut Konukoglu set a 1:47.732 – the fastest out of his six flying laps – which was enough to beat Barkin Pinar’s Audi RS3 Gen 1 by four tenths. On the other hand, it was Ibrahim Okyay who topped the standings in the DSG class.
Q2: Eric Brigliadori took home the fastest overall time in TCR European Endurance’s qualifying session, with the Italian posting a 1:44.642 – 2.4s faster than Zekai Ozen with his Gen 1 Audi RS3. Seda Kacan, the only female driver signed up for this round of the continental endurance series dedicated to TCR cars, was able to set a 1:47.439.
Due to a technical issue after completing just one lap, Zoltan Barkovics (Cupra Leon DSG) – Zsille Motorsport was forced to get back to the pits, only to be pushed by his mechanics back to the paddock without being able to partake in Q2, where Balazs Takacs was set do drive. This lead Balint Hatvani, the Kaposvar-based outfit’s Team Principal, not to race himself with Unicorse’s Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR by Romeo Ferraris. A real shame for the Hungarian outfit with a Red Bull livery after the 18 laps completed throughout free practice – with the team finishing the car’s building process only hours before the start of the weekend due to some delays in the fuel tank’s delivery. Attila Bucsi (Hyundai i30N) – M1RA Motorsport, who led both free practice sessions, was unable to compete in today’s qualifying due to an indisposition, whereas Martin Kadlecik’s Audi RS3 did not get out on track.
The TCR European Endurance’s inaugural race is set to be divided into two 55-minutes + 1 lap parts on Saturday, April 27th (at 12:15) and Sunday, April 28th (at 10:20). The start, following the qualifying’s timings, will see the final standings of stage one form the grid for the final part of the race, which will then determinate the first winners of the 2024 season.
