Esteban Guerrieri disappointed to finish the year pole-less

Münnich Motorsport driver Esteban Guerrieri has qualified in second position for two of the weekend’s races in his Honda Civic TCR, but regrets missing out on what could have been the Japanese manufacturer’s first pole of the season.

Guerrieri showed great pace in the morning’s first qualifying session, and fired back a lap which put him on provisional pole, only for Rob Huff to go out and respond with a new all-time TCR record, with the Argentinian caught out as he celebrated too early.

In the afternoon’s second qualifying session, Guerrieri again was second to Huff, this time in the one-lap shootout, with the 33-year-old well-placed to pick up vital championship points tomorrow, but ultimate miss out on Honda’s first pole of the year.

“In the end, to be honest I am a little bit disappointed because I haven’t a pole position the whole season and I was very much looking forward to this one,” said Guerrireri.

“I celebrated a bit too early in (the first qualifying), and I didn’t know about (Huff’s) time, but I really wanted this one. It’s quite ironic I have the best qualifying average finish, but without the pole. It feels a little bit sweet and sour, but in the end, I am happy and tomorrow this is going to be a good fight.”

Guerrieri has now moved up to just one point behind Jean-Karl Vernay in sixth in the championship after his qualifying points, and with YMR’s Thed Björk struggling in qualifying, has a good shot at moving up the points table to third, and is still mathematically in with a shout of the title should disaster strike Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini.