TDS team-mates Michaël Rossi and Ludovic Badey left their mark on today's Eurocup Mégane Trophy collective test session at the Nürburgring. A fiercely competitive weekend of racing looks likely, with Tech 1 Racing's and Thierry Boutsen Energy Racing's drivers hot on their heels!
Dimitri Enjalbert (Tech 1 Racing) wasted no time at all in laying down the gauntlet. As soon as the session got underway, the Tech 1 Racing driver who currently lies third in the Eurocup Mégane Trophy standings went straight to the top of the timesheets. With a time of 2'07''703, he stayed there throughout the session. He even managed to improve his time in the closing minutes and ended the morning with a time of 2'07''391.
Initially, Ludovic Badey (TDS) managed to get closest to Enjalbert on his return to the category. The Frenchman's performance proved that he is still comfortable behind the wheel of a Mégane Trophy, even though it had been a while since he had last driven the car. "Even though I am racing in another category this year, I really wanted to take part in at least one Mégane race", explained Ludovic Badey. "I needed a few laps to get my bearings back but overall, I am pleased with my time. Now, I'll have to apply myself to make the most of the new tyres. If in the race I see that Michaël Rossi is quicker than me, obviously I won't push it. But if I get an opportunity, then I'll grab it."
At the end of the session, Jonathan Hirschi (Tech 1 Racing) sneaked into second between Enjalbert and Badey, whilst championship leader Michaël Rossi could only finish fifth behind another Tech 1 Racing driver, Matthieu Cheruy. The supremacy of Tech 1 Racing and TDS was total in this first session, as Maxime Martin (Thierry Boutsen Energy Racing) was the first driver to feature who was not from one of these teams.
In the afternoon session, it was some time before the drivers got close to the times set in the morning session. Ludovic Badey was the first to dip under the 2'08 mark, and then Dimitri Enjalbert moved back up into first position.
And then Michaël Rossi stepped into the fray! He set the best time of the day with a lap time of 2'07''254. At the end of the session, Rossi went back out onto the track, as did many other drivers. Pretty much everyone improved their time but nobody could dislodge the Eurocup Mégane Trophy leader from top spot. He then improved his time once again to end the day in the lead with a time of 2'06''263.
"This morning, I had a few technical problems. Nothing too serious, but we had to find a solution quickly", explained Rossi. "Things returned to normal this afternoon. I've got a very consistent and very competitive car. We really managed to make the most of the new tyres, which isn't always easy. We've started the weekend well, but we still have plenty to do. It's also been really positive to be able to have a team-mate like Ludovic Badey alongside me, who can join in the battle to win the races."
No doubt that the TDS drivers are in form, as Badey ended the day in second position. The two men were the only drivers to dip under the 2'07'' mark today.
Third-placed Dimitri Enjalbert, who finished ahead of Jonathan Hirschi and David Dermont (Thierry Boutsen Energy Racing), still believes he has a chance to win this weekend. "After completing a lot of laps on old tyres, I didn't make the most of my new tyres. We still have a bit of work to do to get close to the TDS drivers. But Matthieu Cheruy, Jonathan Hirschi and I are going to work together on what we've learned. I am sure we will be able to improve our performances. This weekend is critical for me in terms of the title."
Pos Driver Team Time S1 Lap S1 Time S2 Lap S2 Time Gap First Gap Previous
1 Michaël ROSSI TDS 2:08.073 13 2:06.263 18 2:06.263
2 Ludovic BADEY TDS 2:07.878 12 2:06.961 19 2:06.961 +0.698 +0.698
3 Dimitri ENJALBERT Tech 1 Racing 1 2:07.391 16 2:07.039 17 2:07.039 +0.776 +0.078
4 Jonathan HIRSCHI Tech 1 Racing 2 2:07.755 18 2:07.380 19 2:07.380 +1.117 +0.341
5 David DERMONT Boutsen Energy Racing 2:09.215 21 2:07.523 20 2:07.523 +1.260 +0.143
6 Matthieu CHERUY Tech 1 Racing 1 2:07.936 17 2:07.568 14 2:07.568 +1.305 +0.045
7 Maxime MARTIN Boutsen Energy Racing 2:08.374 18 2:07.706 17 2:07.706 +1.443 +0.138
8 Bernhard TEN BRINKE Equipe Verschuur 1 2:09.116 10 2:08.120 15 2:08.120 +1.857 +0.414
9 Jean - Philippe MADONIA TDS 2:09.230 17 2:08.491 8 2:08.491 +2.228 +0.371
10 Andreas MAYERL Race Performance 2:09.766 19 2:08.732 14 2:08.732 +2.469 +0.241
11 Fabrice WALFISCH Oregon Team 1 2:10.731 9 2:08.803 7 2:08.803 +2.540 +0.071
12 Wim BEELEN Equipe Verschuur 2 2:10.122 21 2:09.300 6 2:09.300 +3.037 +0.497
13 Hoevert VOS Equipe Verschuur 2 2:12.188 9 2:09.923 21 2:09.923 +3.660 +0.623
14 Bernard DELHEZ Tech 1 Racing 2 2:11.727 21 2:09.997 19 2:09.997 +3.734 +0.074
15 Pierre HIRSCHI Team Lompech Sport 2:10.300 20 2:10.465 17 2:10.300 +4.037 +0.303
16 Jean - Charles MIGINIAC Team Lompech Sport 2:11.568 22 2:10.980 14 2:10.980 +4.717 +0.680
17 Angelo BAIGUERA Oregon Team 1 2:14.443 19 2:11.939 19 2:11.939 +5.676 +0.959
18 Daniele PERFETTI Oregon Team 1 2:19.198 11 2:12.340 16 2:12.340 +6.077 +0.401
19 Joel DHOUAILLY Team Lompech Sport 2:13.778 21 2:12.745 17 2:12.745 +6.482 +0.405
20 Harrie KOLEN Equipe Verschuur 1 2:13.978 12 2:13.213 7 2:13.213 +6.950 +0.468
21 Rafael UNZURRUNZAGA Blue Jumeirah Team 2:17.827 18 2:16.127 16 2:16.127 +9.864 +2.914
- Blanca de Foronda-
