Ekström enjoys the ride to end first day on top in Pau

CUPRA EKS driver Mattias Ekström got his 2022 FIA ETCR eTouring Car World Cup campaign to a fantastic start at the Infinite Reality Race FR on the Circuit de Pau Ville. The winner of FIA ETCR’s predecessor PURE ETCR title didn’t put a wheel wrong all day as he proceeded through the day’s qualifying and Quarter Final sessions in his Pool FURIOUS group to end the day with 35 points, eight ahead of nearest Pool FURIOUS rival, Mikel Azcona (Hyundai Motorsport N).

Ad/> Azcona had lined up next to Ekström for their quarter final together but the pair with Romeo Ferraris’ driver Giovanni Venturini proved that three could not go into one at Turn 1 and the result was a punctured tyre for Azcona and a parked car for Venturini. This left Ekström unchallenged to the finish line.

FIA ETCRRomeo Ferraris target regular success in 2022 FIA ETCRA MINUTE AGO Elsewhere in Pool FURIOUS, it was a strong Quarter Final for Romeo Ferraris’ Bruno Spengler with a great start and almost flawless race until a late mistake allowed his pursuers to catch him at the finish line. Those pursuers were CUPRA EKS’s Jordi Gené – who bounced back from a qualifying contretemps with the barriers – and Hyundai Motorsport N’s Kevin Ceccon.

For Pool FAST it looked like Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay would rule the roost for Hyundai Motorsport N after a dominant performance in his Quarter Final where he looked to be in another league from his rivals. Unfortunately, at the end of the day his victory was overturned after a disqualification from the session’s results for using a power level higher than the maximum allowed.