Goodyear FIA ETRC champion Kiss sensational in Le Mans second qualifying
Norbert Kiss delivered the performance of a champion to continue his unbroken sequence of pole positions in the 2026 Goodyear FIA European Truck Racing Championship – but said afterwards that he could have been even faster.
Having claimed his eighth Goodyear FIA ETRC title* yesterday (Saturday), Kiss beat the new standard he clocked during Saturday qualifying – a 2m04.213s – with a stunning lap of 2m03.820s around the 4.185-kilometre Circuit Bugatti, despite reporting that he braked too late for the Chemin aux Boeufs chicane. His qualifying best in 2025 was a 2m04.322s.
The MAN-powered Révész Racing driver’s latest in a long list of achievements will put him at the front of the grid for Race 3 when he will line up alongside IVECO-driving Jochen Hahn, who also excelled with a 2m04.179s.
Antonio Albacete was third fastest in 2m04.955s with Sascha Lenz, René Reinert and José Eduardo Rodrigues rounding out the Q6 pole position shootout.
“The race trucks are very sensitive to the temperature and the conditions,” Kiss explained. “This morning, we had very good conditions for a fast lap time and I’m very happy that I could put it together. It was almost a very good lap. I made one small mistake in the chicane in the beginning of the last sector but, okay, maybe I lost a tenth or so, but it was a good time and I’m always happy to do a lap record, which I think it is for this regulation. And another good job by the team, Révész Racing.”
Expanding on his “small mistake”, Kiss said: “I overshoot the chicane a little bit, I was braking too late and the exit was not the best so I see on the display about a tenth went away, but it was a very small mistake.”
After claiming the provisional Chrome points lead from Mark Taylor on Saturday, John Newell underlined his rise in status by claiming the Chrome pole in seventh overall.
“The lap was good, we could have had a bit more but I didn’t want to take too many gambles,” said Newell. “To be P7 in front of some Titan drivers and on Chrome pole, I don’t think we could ask for anything else. The guys have been working really hard and the truck feels amazing.”
How the battle for Goodyear FIA ETRC pole position unfolded
Jochen Hahn clocked the benchmark time in Q4, the six-time European champion recording a 2m04.667s best to secure his progression to Q5.
He was followed on the Q4 timing order by Norbert Kiss, José Eduardo Rodrigues, Sascha Lenz, René Reinert, Antonio Albacete, Steffi Halm, Mark Taylor, Bradley Smith, John Newell, Luis Recuenco and Steffen Faas.
However, there would be no further progress for Clemens Hecker and Luke Garrett, who missed out on taking part in Q5 by finishing Q4 in 13th and 14th respectively.
A sensational sub-record lap of 2m04.108s in Q5 ensured Kiss a shot at pole position in Q6. Hahn, Albacete, Rodrigues, Lenz and Reinert also made it through to the final phase of second qualifying in that order.
While he missed out on a place in Q6, Newell emerged as the fastest Chrome qualifier ahead of Smith and Recuenco. But having gone fourth quickest in first qualifying on Saturday, Halm had to make do with P10 as Taylor and Faas were also consigned to a place in Q5 only.
“There was not really a problem, at the moment I don’t know exactly why,” Halm said. “The truck feels okay, but we were not fast. If I push or try to drive calm it doesn’t matter, the time was more or less the same.”
Kiss secured pole position for Race 3 by 0.359s ahead of Hahn. Albacete, Lenz, Reinert and Rodrigues followed.
Race 3, which is scheduled for 11 laps, is due to get under way at 13:55 local time with Race 4 following from 16:55. Both races will be broadcast live across Europe and around the world and streamed as they happen on YouTube.
Click HERE for live timing. Results are available via Sportity using the password: FIA_ETRC_26.
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