Aiello starts in pole

start on pole - but this time, it's the works car of Laurent Aiello.
In qualifying for round four of the Auto Trader British Touring Car
Championship, Aiello lapped the Silverstone International circuit in
1:22.885.

That puts him ahead of the Volvo S40 of reigning champion Rickard Rydell,
who is sandwiched between Aiello and the second Nissan of David Leslie.

With light drizzle falling at the start of the session, almost every driver
got out as soon as the green flag fell, in case conditions worsened. A
succession of drivers went quickest, including Independent Matt Neal, the
Nissan driver seemingly ready to follow up his pole from the previous
meeting.

Leslie was quickest after that early flurry, but then the weather actually
improved and the threat of rain receded. The few remaining drivers who had
yet to set a time then made the most of an empty track, with Jason Plato
going second quickest in his Renault Laguna.

But Rydell made the most of his decision to run later, going round in
1:22.952 to go to the top of the timesheets. His position there didn't last
long, as Aiello then put in his pole position lap with the session only
half completed.

In the second half, none of the top drivers managed to improve - Plato, in
fourth, decided that he was happier there than he would be in third, so he
ended his session early.

Championship leader James Thompson, who scored a win and a second at
Donington, could do no better than seventh in his Honda Accord, 0.7s off
the pace.

Neal's session came to a premature end when he spun off at Bridge corner -
as a result, he was forced to sit and watch as everyone else improved. He
ended up down in twelfth place, still the fastest Independent. Paula Cook
is fourteenth in her Honda Accord, just ahead of the Honda of Lee Brookes.

Ps.No. Driver/Nat Ind Car Lap Time K.P.H.

-- ---- ------------------------------------------------ -------- -------
1 23 Laurent Aiello (F) Nissan Primera GT 1:22.885 157.205

2 1 Rickard Rydell (S) Volvo S40 1:22.952 157.078

3 6 David Leslie (GB) Nissan Primera GT 1:23.175 156.

4 5 Jason Plato (GB) Renault Laguna 1:23.362 156.305

5 4 Alain Menu (CH) Ford Mondeo 1:23.427 156.183

6 11 Vincent Radermecker (B) Volvo S40 1:23.537 155.978

7 3 James Thompson (GB) Honda Accord 1:23.591 155.877

8 33 Peter Kox (NL) Honda Accord 1:23.627 155.810

9 37 Jean-Christophe Boullion Renault Laguna 1:23.660 155.748

10 7 Yvan Muller (F) Vauxhall Vectra 1:23.686 155.700

11 2 Anthony Reid (GB) Ford Mondeo 1:23.799 155.490

12 77 Matt Neal (GB) I Nissan Primera GT 1:23.808 155.473

13 8 John Cleland (GB) Vauxhall Vectra 1:24.234 154.687

14 22 Paula Cook (GB) I Honda Accord LS 1:24.524 154.156

15 99 Lee Brookes (GB) I Honda Accord 1:24.553 154.104

16 15 Mark Blair (GB) I Vauxhall Vectra 1:25.105 153.104

17 17 Russell Spence (GB) I Renault Laguna 1:26.149 151.249

Weather Conditions: Cool, cloudy - track dry
Track Length : 2.2490 Miles