Vernay on pole in Wuhan, the Hyundais in great difficulty

After a zero score in Ningbo (China) the previous week, Jean Karl Vernay (Audi) has turned the tide. The outgoing TCR International Series champion took pole position ahead of Race 1 of the World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) at the Wuhan (China) street circuit on Saturday morning.

“I am happy for the Team WRT team, welcomed the Frenchman. We had a terrible weekend in Ningbo, we debriefed at length on how to improve our performance and get back to the forefront. I'm going to focus on getting a good start and taking the lead at the first corner, which will then make things easier. »,

Very comfortable on this fast circuit, the Audi RS3 LMS monopolizes five of the first six places. Only Pepe Oriola (Cupra) comes to cause trouble in second row. Nathanaël Berthon signs his best qualification of the season with the third time. Yann Erlacher is the first Honda driver in seventh place. Another tricolor ranked in the top 10, Aurélien Comte placed his Peugeot 308 TCR in 9th place.

The championship leader Gabriele Tarquini (Hyundai) will have difficulty getting into the points by starting only 21st. His BRC Racing Team teammate Norbert Michelisz (Hyundai) did even worse (24th and penultimate). The task also promises to be difficult for Thed Björk and Yvan Muller, both victorious in Ningbo, and who will start 17th and 18th.

Race 1 will start on Saturday at 9:10 a.m. French time and will be continued on the wtcr.oscaro website.

WTCR Rankings Qualifying in Wuhan: