Girolami claimed what he described as his best-ever pole position in TCR Europe after mastering difficult conditions at the Brno Circuit in Czechia. Driving the Monlau Motorsport-run CUPRA Leon VZ TCR, Girolami faced a new and challenging track with low grip, making his achievement all the more impressive.

Despite Brno’s low grip levels and his unfamiliarity with the circuit, Girolami and his team used the previous day’s testing sessions to get a handle on the conditions. This allowed them to dial in the setup and extract the maximum from the CUPRA Leon VZ TCR when it mattered most.

“It's a very tricky track for me, a new circuit with very low grip. It was so good for us to do some testing yesterday to understand the circuit, as it was very difficult to get the tyres in the window.

“I’m so happy, and I think this might be my best pole position in TCR Europe. I want to say thank you to Monlau Motorsport and CUPRA for this amazing car.

“Tomorrow I’ll do my best, and as always drive fair and try to get as many points as possible.”

The result also extends Girolami’s lead over his CUPRA rival Aurélien Comte to three points. However, Comte will start alongside him on the front row, setting the stage for a closely fought battle between the two in the race.