Yann Ehrlacher could lose reversed grid pole due to missed weigh bridge

RC Motorsport’s Yann Ehrlacher could be set to lose his provisional pole position for the reversed grid opening race tomorrow in Morocco, as there’s some question over whether the 20-year-old Frenchman might have missed a scrutineering check at the end of qualifying.

The Lada Vesta driver was flagged into the weigh bridge in the pit lane at the end of Q2, but drove on without being checked.

“Nobody made me come in (when I stopped), so it’s a bit of a mistake on both sides maybe,” said Ehrlacher to TouringCarTimes. “It’s the first time I’ve had to stop during a session.”

Ehrlacher qualified in tenth position, 1.2 seconds off the pace of Q2 pace-setter Tiago Monteiro, and just a few tenths behind the more favoured Citroëns and Volvos of Tom Chilton, Thed Björk and Nicky Catsburg.

“We know that the pace was there, we were only one-tenth off from Nicky and Thed,” he said. “We also missed FP2 due to a technical issue, I only did three laps so it’s not that bad.

“(Tomorrow) I have to do a good start, it’s my first start in WTCC; I also have to do a good first corner, a good first lap, I have to do everything well, so there’s a lot to do. We wait for the decision from the stewards, but even if I have to start from the back, it’ll be a nice experience.”