ALL-INKL.COMÂ MĂźnnich Motorsport star takes third pole position of 2022 with stunning lap
Honda-powered Girolami narrows Azconaâs title lead to 32 points with second pole in a row
Home hero Berthon just 0.026s slower for Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport in Alsace GrandEst
WTCR Trophy contender Bennani takes pole for partially-reversed Race 2 grid alongside rival Huff
New WTCR venue provides exciting challenge for FIA World Touring Car talents
WTCR Race of Alsace GrandEst, Circuit lâAnneau du Rhin, August 5-7, 2022
WTCR â FIA World Touring Car Cup, Rounds 13 and 14 of 20
WTCR Race of Alsace GrandEst Qualifying Q3 classification
1 NĂŠstor Girolami (ARG)Â ALL-INKL.COMÂ MĂźnnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR, 1m26.546s (150.5kph)
2 NathanaĂŤl Berthon (FRA) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS, +0.026s
3 Mikel Azcona (ESP) BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N TCR, +0.072s
4 Esteban Guerrieri (ARG)Â ALL-INKL.COMÂ MĂźnnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR, +0.302s
5 Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS
Reverse-grid pole for Race 2:Â Mehdi Bennani (MAR) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS
WTCR Race of Alsace GrandEst Qualifying provisional points allocation
10 points: NĂŠstor Girolami (ARG)Â ALL-INKL.COMÂ MĂźnnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR
8 points: NathanaĂŤl Berthon (FRA) Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS
6 points: Mikel Azcona (ESP) BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse, Hyundai Elantra N TCR
4 points: Esteban Guerrieri (ARG)Â ALL-INKL.COMÂ MĂźnnich Motorsport, Honda Civic Type R TCR
2 points: Gilles Magnus (BEL) Comtoyou Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 3 LMS
NĂŠstor Girolami stormed to his third WTCR â FIA World Touring Car Cup pole position of 2022 with a perfect performance in qualifying at WTCR Race Alsace GrandEst this afternoon.
The ALL-INKL.COM MĂźnnich Motorsport driver lapped Circuit lâAnneau du Rhin in 1m26.546 during the single-lap pole-position shootout in Q3 to take the top spot from home hero NathanaĂŤl Berthon of Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport.
Having set the pace in Q2, Girolami had free choice of when to complete his Q3 lap; the Argentinian choosing to go last of the five drivers who had made it into the final section of Qualifying.
Girolamiâs choice proved inspired as he beat Berthon by just 0.026s. His lap pole lap also secured him 10 bonus points meaning he closed the gap to Goodyear #FollowTheLeader, Spainâs Mikel Azcona, to 32 points.
âIt was insane,â Girolami said. âI was doing the maximum that could be achieved. We knew the track temperature was going down so choosing to go last was going to be an advantage.
âHuge thank you to the ALL-INKL team and HRC in Japan. Everyone did a great job. Tomorrowâs going to be difficult, but with some hard work weâll manage.â
Behind Berthonâs Audi were BRC Hyundai N Squadra driver Azcona, Girolamiâs Argentine Honda team-mate Esteban Guerrieri and Belgian Gilles Magnus, whose Comtoyou team replaced his Audiâs turbo in just 15 minutes at the start of the session.
LIQUI MOLY Team Engstlerâs Tiago Monteiro enjoyed his best qualifying performance of the season in sixth spot while team-mate Attila Tassi was knocked out of the reckoning for a top-10 result â and pole position on Race 2âs partially-reversed grid â by just 0.034s.
Behind Monteiro were Berthonâs team-mate Tom Coronel and the Hyundai Elantra N TCR of practice pace-setter Norbert Michelisz.
ZengĹ Motorsportâs Rob Huff and Comtoyouâs Mehdi Bennani completed the top 10, giving the Moroccan pole position for Race 2 ahead of the CUPRA-powered Briton, who are rivals in the WTCR Trophy for independent racers.
QUALIFYING QUOTES AND SOUND FILES
Driver quotes and sound files following Qualifying will be issued separately.
WHATâS NEXT?
Rounds 13 and 14 of the 2022 WTCR â FIA World Touring Car Cup take place on August 7 as follows:
Race 1:Â 11h15 (30 minutes+1 lap, live on Eurosport Player and other broadcasters around the world)
Race 2:Â 16h15 (25 minutes+1 lap, live on Eurosport Player and other broadcasters around the world)
All timings CET, provisional and subject to change
