Santiago Urrutia claimed third place on the grid for the FIA World Touring Car Cup races at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, also known as the Green Hell.
The Lynk & Co Cyan Racing driver lapped the 25-kilometre circuit in 8:51.637 at an average speed of over 170 km/h, despite tyre issues.
"This was my best ever qualifying at the Nordschleife, so I am happy to be third. I'm also happy for the team as we had four cars in the top ten. We did however have tyre problems with vibrations, so we did not go out for another lap as it was a bit risky. But let's see what will be done for tomorrow," said Santiago Urrutia.
Reigning champion Yann Ehrlacher was close to his Uruguayan team-mate, just 79 thousands of a second behind in fourth position.
"It was a special session with the tyre issues and we went for just one run to bank a lap. Fourth is not too bad, it's a good result and we hope that we will find a way for the race to save the tyres as much as possible. The performance was there to do much better, but there are a lot of things outside of our control," said Yann Ehrlacher.
Thed Björk made it three Lynk & Co 03 TCRs in the top six by securing sixth position on the grid.
"I had vibrations from my tyres during my lap and I pushed as hard as I dared to push. Sixth is okay considering the circumstances and I could have gone faster on a second run, but we didn't want to risk anything further," said Thed Björk.
Quadruple world champion Yvan Muller qualified tenth, meaning that he will start from the reversed grid pole position for the second race tomorrow.
"It was a tricky qualifying as it is always at the Nordschleife. I had a puncture on my first attempt and we decided to go for a second run. The races tomorrow will be difficult, so we will have to survive," said Yvan Muller.
Ma Qing Hua qualified in eleventh position, a mere nine thousands of a second behind team-mate Yvan Muller over the 25-kilometre lap.
"The conditions were tricky as we had rain this morning and the track was drying when we headed out. I improved compared to yesterday's practice sessions, but I didn't want to take too many risks. I was looking for a competitive position on the reversed grid, but unfortunately I was a couple of centimetres from the reversed grid pole. But I have found a lot more confidence in the car and I am looking forward to the races tomorrow," said Ma Qing Hua.
The races are broadcast live on: eurosportplayer.com
Images from the Nürburgring are available here.
WTCR Race of Germany
Results
Qualifying
Free Practice 1
Free Practice 2
Standings - Drivers
1 Néstor Girolami 49 points
2 Mikel Azcona 43 (-6)
3 Esteban Guerrieri 42 (-7)
4 Santiago Urrutia 36 (-13)
5 Ma Qing Hua 30 (-19)
6 Yvan Muller 29 (-20)
7 Yann Ehrlacher 22 (-27)
...
15 Thed Björk 7 (-42)
Standings - Teams
1 Münnich Motorsport 91 points
2 Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 51 (-40)
3 BRC Hyundai 50 (-41)
4 Cyan Performance Lynk & Co 43 (-48)
5 Comtoyou Audi 34 (-57)
Schedule
Times in CEST
Saturday - May 28th
10:00 - Race 1 - 3 laps
12:35 - Race 2 - 3 laps
2022 FIA World Touring Car Cup calendar
May 7/8 – France – Circuit de Pau-Ville
May 26/28 – Germany – Nürburgring Nordschleife
June 11/12 – Hungary – Hungaroring
June 25/26 – Spain – MotorLand Aragón
July 2/3 – Portugal – Circuito do Vila Real
July 23/24 – Italy – Vallelunga
August 6/7 – France – Anneau du Rhin
October 8/9 – South Korea – Inje Speedium
November 5/6 – China – Ningbo International Speedpark
November 18/20 – Macau – Macau
Media contact information
Johan Meissner
Press Manager
Cyan Racing
+46(0)70 241 3234
johan.meissner@cyanracing.com
About Cyan Racing
Cyan Racing was founded in 1996 and was formerly named Polestar until Volvo Cars acquired the performance section and trademark in 2015. Cyan Racing is privately owned and operated. The team has claimed the last five touring car World Titles, most recently the 2021 WTCR drivers' and teams' titles with Lynk & Co – and participated in the development of the Polestar performance models of the Volvo S60 and V60 in the years 2013 to 2015, including the concept models Volvo C30 and S60 Polestar Concept Prototype. The company launched the Volvo P1800 Cyan in 2020, Cyan Racing’s interpretation of the iconic Volvo sports car from the sixties.
About Lynk & Co
Lynk & Co was created to provide mobility solutions for the connected generation. We do make really, really good cars (the kind that have all the features you want without you having to ask for them), but we also offer a new way of using those cars. Our membership-based approach makes it simple to get on the go. Members can access a car on a flexible, month-to-month basis and share with friends, family, and the Lynk & Co community.