Norbert Michelisz

Thed Björk will start Race 1 of WTCR Race of Germany from the DHL Pole Position on Thursday evening after pipping team-mate Yvan Muller to the fastest time in qualifying as the sun finally shone on the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup presented by OSCARO at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

The Swede set his DHL pole time on his second run, dipping below the nine-minute mark with a fantastic lap of 8m58.700s. His YMR team-mate was hot on in heels in the other white Hyundai i30 N TCR, but Muller crossed the line just 0.079s behind – a scant margin around the daunting 25.378km circuit.

“I need to get the start going in Race 1, but the car feels good and it feels great to be back on top after struggling at the Hungaroring,” said a beaming Björk in the pitlane. “I’m really happy to be ahead of Yvan! And with 27 cars on the grid I’m so happy to be at the front.”

Behind the two YMR Hyundais, Norbert Michelisz will start Race 1 from third place in his BRC Racing Team Hyundai, beside fourth fastest Esteban Guerrieri, who jumped up the order on his third and final run in ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport’s Honda Civic Type R TCR.

Rob Huff was third behind the YMR Hyundais for much of the session, but the Sébastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR was bumped down to fifth in the final reckoning.

Huff will start ahead of wildcard entry René Rast, who had topped the two free practice sessions in the morning. The Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team Audi RS3 LMS was one of several cars to smack the barrier at Hatzenbach early in the long lap around the Nordschleife.

WTCR championship leader Gabriele Tarquini looked to be struggling to break into the top 10 during the session, but his final effort lifted him to seventh, ahead of fellow ex-British Touring Car Champion Gordon Shedden. The Scot did well to qualify eighth in his Audi after damaging the car and losing track time in free practice 1.

Dutch hero Tom Coronel was ninth fastest, ahead of fellow Boutsen Ginion Racing Honda driver Benjamin Lessennes, with ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport’s Yann Ehrlacher down in 11th.

Race 1 of WTCR Race of Germany takes place this evening at 19h45 local time.

Via FIA WTCR