Photo: TCR World Tour

Yann Ehrlacher beats Mikel Azcona to pole by 0.067 seconds

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Reigning champion Yann Ehrlacher beat points leader Mikel Azcona to pole position by just 0.067 seconds in qualifying for the first FIA TCR World Tour race at the Chengdu Tianfu International Circuit.

Hyundai driver Azcona came close to securing his fifth straight pole, despite carrying 40kg of compensation weight compared to Ehrlacher’s 0kg.

Former points leader Santiago Urrutia was third fastest, more three tenths from pole, while Azcona’s BRC Hyundai team-mate Norbert Michelisz claimed fourth, half a second from pole.

Home hero Ma Qing Hua was fifth fastest ahead of the Cupra duo of Aurélien Comte and Jean-Karl Vernay who were 1.2 and 1.4 seconds from Ehrlacher respectively.

Geely driver Thed Björk set the eighth fastest lap time ahead of Lo Sze Ho (Hyundai) and Diego Moran (Honda), with the latter securing the provisional reversed-grid pole for Race 2.

The first race of the weekend starts at 15:15 local time/09:15 CEST.