Photo: TCR Australia

Tony D’Alberto beats Yann Ehrlacher to Bathurst pole position

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Reigning TCR Australia champion Tony D’Alberto was the man to beat in the TCR World Tour qualifying session at the Mount Panorama Circuit, beating multiple world champion Yann Ehrlacher to pole position.

Cyan Racing driver Ehrlacher was first to set a benchmark lap time in Q2 of the session with 2:13.7468, only to be soundly beaten by Wall Racing driver D’Alberto with 2:13.3568 – close to four tenths faster.

Ehrlacher will start the first race from seventh place on the grid due to his engine change grid penalty.

Santiago Urrutia and Thed Björk made it a Lynk & Co Cyan Racing 2-3-4, four and five tenths from pole respectively.

Mikel Azcona was fastest of the Hyundai drivers in fifth position, eight tenths from pole, with Néstor Girolami putting his Honda in sixth place.

Title contender Rob Huff put in a late lap to claim seventh position ahead of the second fastest TCR Australia driver in the form of TCR Australia title contender Josh Buchan, currently placed second overall.

Zac Soutar was ninth fastest while Comtoyou Racing driver Frédéric Vervisch was unable to set a lap time in Q2 due to what seemed to be front-right damage from an incident in Q1.

TCR World Tour points leader Norbert Michelisz had a tough qualifying session, just missing out on the Q2 cut and will start eleventh in the first race.

TCR Australia points leader Bailey Sweeny also struggled in qualifying and will start down in 16th position in the first race which starts at 16:15 local time/06:15 CET.

The field was down to 23 cars as Wall Racing withdrew the Will Harris entry due to an aggravated existing rib injury during practice.