Fredrik Ekblom will start on the front row for the first FIA World Touring Car Championship race of 2016 at Paul Ricard, France, in Polestar Cyan Racing’s debut WTCC race weekend.
Updated results: http://bit.ly/1ULB8L3
”The car is fast and I am delighted to start second for the first race. But it is very early days yet and we are here to learn and gather data rather than to go for outright results,” said Fredrik Ekblom.
Ekblom secured second place on the grid for the first race thanks to the reversed grid and the three-time STCC champion will start from ninth position in the second race.
Team mate Thed Björk was a mere 0.064 seconds from making it to the Q3 session. The four-time STCC champion will start fifth in the first race and sixth in the second race after having shown impressive form in the earlier sessions by being fastest in Free Practice 2.
”We have definitely had a good absolute first qualifying session of our new WTCC programme and I am pleased with having reached Q2 on our first attempt. Fifth and sixth are two good positions this early for us, we have a lot of work ahead of us still. I am very much looking forward to the two races tomorrow,” said Björk.
The 2016 WTCC season kicks off tomorrow with the first two races of 16 and 17 laps respectively where the Polestar Cyan Racing drivers will meet the competition from Citroën, Honda, Lada and Chevrolet.
”We are here with a completely new car, on a track we have never been on before and that our drivers have never raced on. To start on the first row is something that we are pleased with, leaving us with a taste for more,” said Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin, Head of Motorsport at Polestar.
The first race starts at 12:15 CET tomorrow and the second at 17:15, with both being broadcasted live on Eurosport.
WTCC Race of France
Circuit: Paul Ricard
Length: 3481 m
Lap record (WTCC): 1:31.148, López
Results
Q3 – Top 5
1 José María López Citroën C-Elysée 1:28.950
2 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée
3 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic
4 Tom Coronel Chevrolet Cruze
Q2 - Top 5
1 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée 1:29.263
2 José María López Citroën C-Elysée +0.171
3 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic +0.287
4 Tom Coronel Chevrolet Cruze +0.362
5 Nicky Catsburg Lada Vesta +0.406
…
6 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.470
9 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.958
Q1 – Top 5
1 José María López Citroën C-Elysée 1:29.345
2 Nicky Catsburg Lada Vesta +0.112
3 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée +0.420
4 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic +0.421
5 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +0.444
…
10 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.764
Free Practice 2 – Top 5
1 Thed Björk Volvo S60 1:30.039
2 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic +0.348
3 Nicky Catsburg Lada Vesta +0.351
4 Gabriele Tarquini Lada Vesta +0.446
5 Yvan Muller Citroën C-Elysée +0.462
…
7 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +0.876
Free Practice 1 – Top 5
1 Tiago Monteiro Honda Civic 1:42.565
2 José María López Citroën C-Elysée +0.133
3 Grégorie Demoustier Citroën C-Elysée +0.134
4 Norbert Michelisz Honda Civic +0.234
5 Gabriele Tarquini Lada Vesta +0.259
…
10 Fredrik Ekblom Volvo S60 +1.030
13 Thed Björk Volvo S60 +1.652
Schedule
(Times in CET)
Sunday 3/4
12:15 Race 1 (16 laps)
17:15 Race 2 (17 laps)
TV Schedule
International: https://www.fiawtcc.com/watch-it-on-tv/
Online: http://www.eurosportplayer.com/