Qualifying - Alex Ley smashes the lap record as he secures pole position on Spa debut

In Friday evening's qualifying session, Alex Ley obliterated the qualifying record at the circuit by over a second, though he was closely challenged by the CUPRA of Viktor Andersson in the tight 20-minute session.

Ley set the benchmark down in his BRC Racing Team Hyundai Elantra N

TCR and for a while had more than seven-tenths of a second margin to his closest competitor which was the rival Hyundai of Junesung Park.

In the final five minutes of the session, it closed up at the front as first the two RC2 Racing Team Hondas jumped forward, with Jenson Brickley going second quickest ahead of new team-mate Felipe Fernández, the holder of the qualifying record from the TCR Europe series race at Spa-Francorchamps last year.

The performance was all the more impressive, with Ley's first experience of the circuit coming just a few hours earlier in the second practice session.

Race 1 - Concepción capitalises on drama to take his first victory

Alex Ley led the way from pole position for BRC Racing Team, while Jenson Brickley got the jump on Viktor Andersson’s CUPRA into La Source to move into second. Junesung Park’s Hyundai also squeezed ahead of the Swedish racer before they reached Eau Rouge.

Ley was immediately under pressure from Brickley on the way to Les Combes, with the two British rivals giving each other just enough room. Brickley fended off an attack from Park through Pouhon and continued to apply pressure to Ley over the next lap, before Park gathered himself and began to attack Brickley again.

The two went side-by-side through Les Combes on the third lap, which allowed Andersson to sneak up the inside at Bruxelles and steal second. Brickley then lost pace due to an apparent puncture and returned to the pit lane to retire.

The battle allowed Ley to build a healthy lead, while Andersson sat just ahead of Park, with Santiago Concepción having joined the fight in his Audi.

Andersson’s run came to an end on lap five after slowing with a front-right puncture. His pit visit promoted Park and Concepción to the final podium positions.

Just two laps later, Ley was the next to encounter drama, running wide with a front-left issue at Eau Rouge. He was forced to drive around the entire circuit on three wheels before pitting for a new tyre, allowing Park to assume the lead.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be Park’s day either. The South Korean driver’s Hyundai suffered the same fate on the penultimate lap, running wide at Eau Rouge with a front-left delamination. Concepción inherited the lead, with Felipe Fernández and Giacomo Prandelli moving up to second and third, capitalising on the chaos ahead.

Concepción managed his tyres carefully to the finish to secure his first career victory in TCR. Spa specialist Felipe Fernández joined him on the podium, while Concepción’s team-mate Giacomo Prandelli secured his first career podium finish. Sandro Pelatti was one of the few drivers to avoid the drama entirely, crossing the line in fourth.

Ley eventually rescued fifth place with a replacement tyre, finishing ahead of Andersson and Park to score vital points in the TCR Europe Cup standings.

The RTI Trophy, the award for drivers who have not previously won a TCR Europe race or touring car title, was also won by Concepción.

Penalties: Sandro Pelatti received a five-second penalty due to multiple track limits violations during the race, but this didn't affect his finishing position.

Gabriele Covini to start from pole for race 2

Gabriele Covini will lead a second attempt by BRC Racing Team to secure victory at Spa, after the 20-year-old Italian led the way in an equally dramatic qualifying session on Saturday morning.

Squadra Martino Honda driver Leonel Pernía had set the first benchmark at the start of the session, and was one of just two cars to get to the finish line before the session was red-flagged when the PMA Motorsport Audi of Nicola Baldan stopped at Blanchimont with a technical issue.

The session resumed with nine minutes to go, with Covini jumping to the top of the time sheets with a time of 2:26.839, while Pernía improved on his time but was still 1.1 seconds away from Covini’s Hyundai.

The rival Hyundai of Junui Park lost his lap time for a track limits violation at Eau Rouge, while Victor Fernández then lost his only time due to an infraction at Blanchimont, before the session was red-flagged again when Sandro Pelatti’s CUPRA stopped on circuit with just under three minutes remaining.

With no time left to restart the session, the chequered flag was called, and Covini secured pole position by over a second over Pernía, while Giacomo Prandelli qualified a career-best third, despite being three seconds off the pace.

Prandelli’s AIKOA Racing team-mate Rubén Fernández will start from fourth ahead of Sergio López’s RC2 Racing Team Honda. Pelatti initially qualified in sixth ahead of Viktor Andersson, who had also not set a competitive time before the red flag and was 30 seconds down. Pelatti later lost his best time due to causing the red flag with his off at Raidillon.

Spa-Francorchamps Race 1 result

1 - Santiago Concepción - AIKOA Racing - Audi RS 3 LMS - 10 laps

2 - Felipe Fernández - RC2 Racing Team - Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR - +4.2411

3 - Giacomo Prandelli - AIKOA Racing - Audi RS 3 LMS - +6.429

4 - Sandro Pelatti - PMA Motorsport - CUPRA Leon VZ TCR - +25.294

5 - Alex Ley - BRC Racing Team - Hyundai Elantra N TCR - +1:49.270

6 - Viktor Andersson - Monlau Motorsport - CUPRA Leon VZ TCR - +2:10.171

7 - Junesung Park - Solite Indigo Racing - Hyundai Elantra N TCR - +2:22.508

8 - Nicolas Taylor - PMA Motorsport - Audi RS 3 LMS - +2 laps

9 - Tiago Pernía - Squadra Martino - Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR - DNF

10 - Jenson Brickley - RC2 Racing Team - Honda Civic Type R FL5 TCR - DNF ...