Oulton 1: Muller nice

Muller passed poleman Thompson on the outside into the first corner and from then on was never headed. The Frenchman locked up into Lodge corner on several occasions, but despite this Thompson couldn't get close enough to take advantage. The pair finished more than two seconds clear of third-placed Matt Neal.

"This race was very tough," said Muller afterwards. "When you have a guy like Jimmy on your back you can't make any mistakes. After 15 laps there was only 0.8s between us so you have to be focused 110 percent. Even more sometimes.

"I don't know why I was locking up. At Oulton Park I always have the same problem with any car, not just the Vauxhall, so maybe it is something with me."

Thompson had his own theory as to why Muller's front tyres were lighting up: "I think he was teasing me really. Just showing off and locking up the brakes a little bit. It was very, very close.

"He was a little bit lighter than me and that does make a difference, but at the end of the day he is so damn good you can't let him get ahead of you into the first corner. You are always going to have a job overtaking him. He is one of the best drivers in the world so if you give him an inch he'll beat you."

Neal made a poor start and had to make his way past a fast-launching Rob Collard and then fought an excellent lap long side-by-side battle with Colin Turkington to take third place. Once ahead of the MG, the Team Dynamics Honda began to close down the leading two but that gap proved just too large.

Turkington finished a distant fourth ahead of Collard who drove an excellent fighting race from seventh on the grid.

James Kaye fought his way through to sixth, taking the position from SEAT's Robert Huff, carrying damage from contact with Luke Hines who retired. Huff's team-mate Jason Plato finished eighth and Dan Eaves ninth while Anthony Reid will start race two from pole after finishing tenth.

Reid caused havoc as his weighted MG dropped back through the pack from sixth on the grid. The canny Scotsman may have strategically aimed to finish tenth and take the second race pole but if that was the case his defensive tactics seemed a little determined. At some points, as many as six cars were stuck behind the MG before Reid dropped back to 11th. He only took the valuable tenth place by dint of Hines' retirement.

Yvan Muller Vauxhall 22m25.724s
James Thompson Vauxhall 22m26.212s
Matt Neal Honda 22m28.382s
Colin Turkington MG 22m39.790s
Rob Collard Vauxhall 22m42.884s
James Kaye Honda 22m51.057s
Rob Huff SEAT 22m53.280s
Jason Plato SEAT 22m55.594s
Dan Eaves Honda 22m57.553s
Anthony Reid MG 22m58.521s