Yann Ehrlacher says brake management will be key after career-best qualifying

Münnich Motorsport’s Yann Ehrlacher starts fifth on the grid for Race 3 later today after breaking into the top five shootout in his Honda Civic, the only driver able to take the fight to Hyundai, and the Frenchman says the brakes are absolutely key for this afternoon’s races.

“For me it was a good result,” said Ehrlacher to TouringCarTimes. “It was my first Q3, and to be the first Honda and first non-Hyundai, as this track suits them well.”

“It’s also a great effort from all the team, as since the start of the weekend we’ve been trying to find pace, and when you look at the gaps, I’m in Q3 by just five-thousandths in front of Rob (Huff) which is absolutely nothing.”

With the track temperature rising ahead of today’s late afternoon races, the majority of issues up and down the grid has been related to brakes, with Belgian Denis Dupont ruled out of the race after a heavy crash in the first qualifying session.

“It was fun to be in Q3 and share it with my uncle, but we’re still trying to find some pace. In the race, the only place you can make something is at the start like I did yesterday; after that, everybody stays in the same order, so we just have to be careful with the brake management. The guy who manages his brakes best could be able to make a move at the end of the race.”