Photo: TCR Media

Luca Engstler leads Volkswagen 1-2-3 in Dubai

TCR rookie Luca Engstler took pole position in the inaugural TCR Middle East qualifying in Dubai. The German will share the front row with fellow Team Engstler driver Mat’o Homola, with Brandon Gdovic completing a 1-2-3 for the Volkswagen team.

Engstler, who dominated the weekend so far by being quickest in both Free Practice sessions in his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, was half a second faster than TCR International Series regular Mat’o Homola, with Gdovic one tenth slower than the Slovakian.

Michela Cerruti was fourth at the wheel of the Mulsanne Racing Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR, clocking exactly the same lap time as fellow Italian Luigi Ferrara, who drives the Top Run Subaru WRX STi TCR. Team Engstler’s Filip Sládecka will share the third row with Ferrara.

The highly-anticipated debut of the Audi RS 3 LMS resulted in BTCC veteran James Kaye qualifying in seventh, the German car having been hit by Balance of Performance measures ahead of Free Practice 2. The RS 3 LMS now runs at the same weight as the SEAT León TCR and the Honda Civic TCR. Kaye failed to post the same lap time he did in the second free practice session though, and was over a second slower than his previous best lap time.

Stefan Goede will line up eighth in the fifth Team Engstler Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR, while Kane Astin, who replaced Rik Breukers at the wheel of the Red Camel-Jordans.nl SEAT León TCR DSG, will start ninth and last in tomorrow’s race, as the team struggled to adapt to the different specs of TCR Middle East compared to the Dubai 24H, in which they are also competing this weekend.