Photo: WTCR

Frédéric Vervisch scores his first WTCR pole position in Morocco

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Frédéric Vervisch has placed his Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS on pole position for the final race of the day in Marrakech, after outpacing both the Lynk & Co 03 TCRs of Yvan Muller and Thed Björk.

The Belgian driver found more pace in the Audi overnight and snuck into Q2 after setting the 11th fastest time in Q1, before producing the best lap of the weekend in Q2 with a time of 1:24.590, just ahead of another surprise front runner, that of PWR Racing’s Mikel Azcona.

Heading into the top five shootout, the Comtoyou team were unable to select the position they wanted to run in, but it didn’t matter anyway as he set the best time in the one-lap shootout, a 1:24.721, four-tenths of a second clear of Yvan Muller.

Thed Björk was third fastest in the second-best of the Lynk & Cos, while Tiago Monteiro placed his Honda fourth on the grid, the best of the Hondas today in the KCMG team as both Münnich Motorsport drivers struggled compared to yesterday.

Azcona, who was the first to run, made a mistake at Turn 5 and ended up fifth.

Yann Ehrlacher was the first driver to miss the top five shootout, and will line-up sixth for the main race, with yesterday’s winner Guerrieri behind him.

Jean-Karl Vernay qualified in eighth in the WRT Audi RS 3 LMS, with the two BRC Racing Team Hyundais of Gabriele Tarquini and Nicky Catsburg ninth and tenth, meaning Catsburg will start the reversed top ten grid race from pole position this afternoon.

Yesterday’s podium finisher Néstor Girolami just missed the top ten cut-off and will start 11th for both races in his Honda just ahead of WRT Audi’s Gordon Shedden.

It was another disastrous qualifying session for Volkswagen, with Rob Huff the best-placed for the German marque in 19th.

The only Lynk & Co driver to miss the top-12 cut-off for Q2 was Andy Priaulx, who will start 17th for the two races, with the British driver also having lost his first run in Q1 after he knocked his wing mirror off and caused a Full Course Yellow.

The first race is scheduled for 16:45 WEST (17:45 CEST), with Race 3 following straight afterwards.