Photo: WTCC Media

Rob Huff claims pole position at the Hungaroring for Münnich

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Rob Huff led a Citroën 1-2 in qualifying at the Hungaroring, topping the second part of qualifying and setting the best lap in the one-lap shootout to outqualify Citroën rival Mehdi Benanni, with Esteban Guerrieri third, with the independents outperforming the factory drivers.

In the first part of qualifying, the biggest name to miss out was Tom Coronel in the ROAL Motorsport Chevrolet, with the Dutchman missing out on the top 12 cut-off, complaining of chronic understeer on his Chevrolet Cruze.

In the ten minute Qualifying 2 session, there was just time for two runs, with Esteban Guerrieri springing a surprise by setting the fastest time in the other Chevrolet Cruze run by Campos Racing ahead of the Citroën of Mehdi Bennani and with Volvo’s Nicky Catsburg third.

Lada’s Yann Ehrlacher and Honda’s Ryo Michigami looked set to miss the top ten and reversed grid switch around, with both unable to improve on their second run, which handed Sébastien Loeb Racing’s John Filippi pole for the opening race with the tenth fastest time.

Rob Huff improved and went fastest of all on his second run with a time of 1:48.494, finishing ahead of Guerrieri and Bennani, with the two Polestar Volvos of Néstor Girolami and Nicky Catsburg also making the top five shootout.

Norbert Michelisz just missed the top five, and qualified in sixth for his home race, while Honda team-mate Tiago Monteiro qualified in a strategic ninth position, which gives him the front row alongside Filippi for the opening race.

In the top five shootout, Volvo’s Nicky Catsburg set a competitive first marker, which wasn’t improved upon by his team-mate Girolami, but was followed up by a great lap by Morocco’s Mehdi Benanni, which then put the Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroën driver on provisional pole.

Esteban Guerrieri was up next in the ballast-free Chevrolet Cruze, with the Argentinian setting a time which put just behind Bennani, but outqualified both of the factory Volvos.

Rob Huff was up last in the Münnich-run Citroën, and topped each sector to take his first pole position of the season with a time of 1:48.264, and grabbed the five points with it in the championship.