Polestar Cyan Racing were “left with a taste for more” after a positive qualifying début in the World Touring Car Championship in France, where drivers Thed Björk and Fredrik Ekblom qualified in sixth and ninth respectively.
The Volvo S60 cars of the Swedish duo had been on the pace throughout an inclement first day of the season at Circuit Paul Ricard, with Björk himself on top of the times in the dry second practice.
The earlier first practice session had been a challenge for the Swedish team, with a lack of wet weather testing leaving the team guessing on set-up.
In qualifying, both drivers then convincingly made it through to Q2, with Björk himself just missing out on entry into Q3 by 0.064 seconds.
Although Björk was later excluded from his qualifying position due to failing the ride-height check, his pace remained encouraging.
“We have definitely had a good absolute first qualifying session of our new WTCC programme and I am pleased with having reached Q2 on our first attempt,” said Björk. “Fifth and sixth are two good positions this early for us, we have a lot of work ahead of us still.
“I am very much looking forward to the two races tomorrow.”
Although Ekblom was ninth, the result means he will start on the front row of the grid for the first race, as a result of the rule changes introduced for 2016 which put the reverse-grid race first on the bill.
“The car is fast and I am delighted to start second for the first race,” said Ekblom. “But it is very early days yet and we are here to learn and gather data rather than to go for outright results.”
Polestar’s Head of Motorsport Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin added that the promising performance had left the team with ‘a taste for more’ already.
“We are here with a completely new car, on a track we have never been on before and that our drivers have never raced on,” said Schedvin. “To start on the first row is something that we are pleased with, leaving us with a taste for more.”
The first WTCC race takes place on Sunday at 11:15 BST (12:15 CEST).