Norbert Michelisz

SLR Volkswagen driver Benjamin Leuchter scored his first DHL Pole Position in Second Qualifying at WTCR Race of Germany.

SLR VW Motorsport’s Rob Huff was second ahead of First Qualifying DHL Pole Position holder Esteban Guerrieri.

With track conditions more consistent than in First Qualifying, the gaps between the field were incredibly close despite the monstrous 25.378 kilometre length of the Nurburgring Nordschelife circuit.

It would be SLR Volkswagen driver and local hero Benjamin Leuchter that would charge out of the blocks quickest with a 10m018.944s, 1.874 quicker than Free Practice 1 pacesetter Rob Huff.

Nicky Catsburg slotted his BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team i30 N TCR into third after the early running, with Daniel Haglof muscling his PWR Racing car in between Catsburg and teammate Augusto Farfus.

However Catsburg’s running was curtailed when he damaged his front-right suspension and had to crawl back to the pits. Catsburg wouldn’t return to the track, qualifying down in 23rd.

As drivers returned to the track for their second of three laps, it was the Swede Haglof that really put the hammer down, blitzing to a 10m018.123s lap-time that rocketed him to the top of the standings.

Cyan Performance Lynk & Co’s Yann Ehrlacher stormed up to second, setting a lap that was just 0.420s short of Haglof’s benchmark.

But Haglof would soon find himself 15.636s away from pole as the track conditions began to improve, resulting in the lap-times tumbling dramatically.

Benjamin Leuchter returned to the top of the order, again heading teammate Rob Huff with just 0.083s splitting the two SLR Volkswagen drivers.

The German’s joy was brief, as teammate and Free Practice 2 pacesetter Johan Kristoffersson became the first man to break the 10 minute mark with a 9m057.497s before wildcard entrant Antti Buri then usurped Kristoffersson; the Finn 0.206s faster in his Audi.

But eventually it was home hero Benjamin Leuchter who would prevail, again edging out teammate Rob Huff with the pair separated by just 1.482s in the final classification.

Qualifying 1 polesitter Esteban Guerrieri left it late, spending the majority of the session outside the top 15, but stormed up to third ahead of BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corsa duo Norbert Michelisz and Gabriele Tarquini.

Mehdi Bennani ensured three SLR Volkswagen Golf GTI TCRs would fill out the top six, qualifying ahead of Frederic Vervisch whose Comtoyou Team Audi Sport squad managed to repair his S3 LMS TCR following his collision with the barriers in Qualifying 1.

KCMG driver Attila Tassi set the eighth quickest time, ahead of Buri and Kristoffersson who failed to improve on their second lap-times that had seen them head proceedings.

Race 1 begins at 15h30 tomorrow, with Races 2 and 3 at 11h00 and 12h20 on Saturday.

Via FIA WTCR