Carbone fastest in Estoril qualifying

Brazilian Carbone retains only a mathematical chance of winning the championship, as he lies 53 points adrift of series leader Giedo van der Garde, with only 62 points available over the final two races of the series.

Carbone set his fastest time, 1:25.700, to lead the six fastest drivers from the B group to advance into the Super Pole. The later A session was topped by Frenchman Charles Pic.

Less than a tenth of a second covered the first three cars in group B. Carlin's Robert Wickens finished just five hundredths of second down on Carbone, with Bertrand Baguette third.

Three Spaniards occupied the coveted remaining positions: Marcos Martinez in fifth was sandwiched by Prema Powerteam's team's pairing of, 2007 Estoril winner, Miguel Molina, and Alvaro Barba.

There was drama at the conclusion of group A, when Alex Marsoin's posted an identical time, of 1:26.070, as second placed Marco Barba. Marsoin then had the misfortune to crash heavily at Turn 1, leaving his Epslion-Euskadi crew with a tough job to repair the car for the Super Pole.

Pic's Tech 1 Racing teammate Julien Jousse finished fourth. The Frenchman had saved tyres in practice yesterday in a bid to repeat his 2007 pole-position at the venue. Ultimate-Signature's Esteban Guerrieri and the lone Comtec car of Marco Bonanomi completed the top six.

Giedo Van der Garde and series returnee Filipe Albuquerque were unlucky to miss out on progressing into the Super Pole. Both men posted 1:26.2 laps, as had fifth place Guerrieri.