Coelho ‘Top Qualifier’ in China with Q3 TQ run

Infinity’s Bruno Coelho is the Top Qualifier at the Asia Touring Car Championship in China, the race’s defending Champion securing pole position when he topped the third & final qualifier.  The Top Seed going into qualifying on Friday, Coelho would become the third different driver to top the timings at the Hongyu GDC track taking the final round ahead of Q2 winner Lucas Urbain but with his TQ run time faster on the improving track conditions it was the Portuguese driver who is the Top Qualifier.  Setting the fastest time of all qualifying on Friday night, before the rain washed out Saturday’s action, Naoto Matsukura would get a 3 for the final round to secure third on the grid ahead of Axon’s Akio Sobue and Infinity’s Ryosuke Yamamoto.  Michal Orlowski completes the Top 6 grid line-up after the Schumacher driver needed marshalling in the final qualifier.  In Stock, it was Xray domination of proceedings with their drivers topping all three rounds.  Q1 would go to Shin Sawada, Q2 Adam Izsay, and Q3 Jan Ratheisky but overall it is Sawada who takes the overall TQ ahead of Ratheisky, with the ARC prototype of Enrico Jung completing the Top 3 ahead of Izsay.

Enjoying a customary celebration coffee after his TQ, on his Q3 performance Coelho said, ‘It was much better.  We improved the car a little bit.’  He continued, ‘Still it was very close to Lucas.  He did a small bobble near the end and I was able to catch him.  For sure the car was better than before.  We want to make baby steps from now on because the first qualifier was pretty tough, but I think we are on the right direction and for sure we are going to change something for the finals to make it a little bit faster.’   On the track conditions and the difference between Q2 & 3, he said, ‘for sure the track now is better.  It was less windy so it was more predictable because before it was very annoying to drive.  This is also better for the fights and not all about the luck of the wind or something.’

‘Not quick enough’, was Urbain’s reaction to the final qualifier.  Ending up 9/10th of a second off Coelho, he continued, ‘Bruno as always has been very fast off the line and I am a bit slower than him.  I could see him in my mirror from the beginning but at some point I think I was pulling a bit of a gap but I had a couple of bobbles trying to push.’  He added, ‘I think I again destroyed my front tyres too soon.  I think they announced the 4-minute mark  and I said lets try to push and see what happens and with the tyre it is even worse when you really try to attack.  It falls off a cliff and you have no more grip so I guess yeah P2 is not too bad considering.’  The French driver concluded, Lets see 3-mains to go, the first laps are not easy for everyone so anything can happen.  It’s a big track but I am sure there are opportunities and we all had bobbles at some point.’

Asked how his Q3 went, Matsukura said, ‘I thought Q2 was low traction so I changed my car for more traction but the last one the traction came up  and my car was a little bit nervous, so my lap times were not so fast.  I was driving careful, careful, so I plan for the final to go back to my previous set-up.’  He continued, ‘I am happy with P3 and I will try to improve on that in the finals’.  On how the track should be to race on, the multi discipline World Champion said, ‘It’s a big track but the line is small.  If you go outside or inside it there is no traction.  I think it will be very difficult to overtake.’