Coelho on pole at German ETS
Bruno Coelho will line up on pole position for Round 2 of the Yokomo Euro Touring Series in Germany tomorrow, the Xray driver heading a 1-2 in qualifying for the Slovakian manufacturer. Taking the opening two qualifiers Coelho claimed his first carpet TQ ahead of Alexander Hagberg, the 2014 event winner topping the final qualifier in Muelheim-Kaerlich. The only driver who could deny Coelho the overall TQ, having topped the penultimate round when both Xray drivers had issues, Marc Rheinard would only manage a P5. With a TQ to count however the championship leader importantly secures third on the grid ahead of reigning champion Ronald Volker.
‘The first year I was fighting for a place in the A-Main and this year I’m TQ’, was Coelho’s reaction to his second ever ETS TQ, his first having come last season on asphalt at the Hudy Arena. Commenting on the final qualifier, the 22-year-old said ‘once I knew Rheinard was not in the Top 4 I just drove around as Alex was faster and I didn’t want to push as I could crash the car and damage the tyres which I need for the finals’. Having tested for 2-days in the Hudy Arena earlier in the week in preparation for the ETS, he said this helped them put 4 cars in the final. Looking to tomorrow’s finals, the Portuguese ace said his Hobbywing powered T4 is perfect and with no mistakes he plans to try an defend his No. 1 starting position.
After having a potential TQ run robbed from him in Q3 when he suffered a rear belt failure, Hagberg said of his TQ run ‘I did the best I could and ran a clean run, it was not perfect but ok for a TQ’. Getting his ORCA powered T4 up on two wheel on the opening lap, the Swede feeling the traction was higher, he said it took a few laps to get used to it. Starting second on the grid, he said from that position ‘anything can happen tomorrow’. Asked about overtaking opportunities he feels there are not much places to pass and with the high grip they were going to be difficult finals. He added with the cars a little difficult at the beginning of a run this too would make things a little tricky.
Having broken a 5-year winning drought on carpet here last year, Rheinard wasn’t too confident of repeating that win tomorrow. In the final qualifier the championship’s most winning driver would get up on two wheels twice on the opening lap, later rolling his TRF419. With the car ‘really edgy and hard to drive’, something he said you don’t want for the finals, he said even without his roll he wouldn’t have been fast enough to fight for the TQ. Asked about the final he said ‘I have no idea what to do with the set-up and maybe we will just try to glue the tyre walls’.
Fourth fastest in the final qualifier behind Hagberg, Coelho and his Yokomo team-mate Yannic Prumper, Volker said he ‘needed to win Q4 to start ahead of Marc and went for it but with the car still difficult (he) lost it once in the chicane which cost a lot of time’. Beating Rheinard in 3 of the 4 qualifiers he said it was frustrating to be starting behind his longtime arch rival but feeling they are coming closer to Xray’s pace they will keep trying other things on his BD7 for A1 to improve it so he can try to pass and fight for the podium. Asked about racing on the track, the 2-time winner of the event replied the cars are not super easy to drive on this track and its going to be difficult to race but this might present some opportunities if others make mistakes. Behind Volker, Prümper completes the top half of the grid which will see 5-different manufacturers represented.
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