Practice: Muller tops times despite ballast

The Frenchman, despite carrying 60kg of success ballast to the 45 of team-mate Jason Plato, ended up the best part of 0.3 seconds to the good.

"We're working step by step," he said of his works Astra Coupe. "The ballast is a lot, especially for the brakes - I struggled a lot at the hairpin."

Plato missed out on development time after a litany of unconnected problems. First the power-steering didn't work on the car's rollout on Thursday at Turweston airfield, then the wheel bearings failed in Friday night practice, and finally a differential played up in this morning's first free session.

"Had it not been for all those problems I'm confident we'd be half a second up the road," he predicted after setting the fastest time and his personal best in the damp second session.

The Egg Sport Vauxhall Astras of James Thompson (also on 60kg) and Phil Bennett were next from Peugeot twins Steve Soper and Dan Eaves. Soper, having his first outing on the Silverstone International circuit, was actually quicker last night, possibly a legacy of driving more smoothly through not knowing exactly where he was going...

The privateer cars all hit problems. Lexus driver Kurt Luby sat out most of the first session after the car cut out with electrical bugs, while Alfa Romeo men Tim Harvey and Dave Pinkney are suffering engine problems, despite running all-new powerplants.

Just as predictable as the pacesetting Vauxhalls is the presence of Simon Harrison at the top of the timesheets after a wet Production class session. The HTML Peugeot ace was well clear of Gavin Pyper's GA Janspeed Alfa Romeo, which completed only five laps, with Barwell Honda drivers James Kaye and Simon Graves (making an impressive BTCC debut) next up.


Yvan Muller (Vauxhall Astra Coupe) 1:28.408
Jason Plato (Vauxhall Astra Coupe) 1:28.687
James Thompson (Egg Sport Vauxhall Astra Coupe) 1:28.824
Phil Bennett (Egg Sport Vauxhall Astra Coupe) 1:28.943
Steve Soper (Peugeot 406 Coupe) 1:29.752
Dan Eaves (Peugeot 406 Coupe) 1:30.966
Kurt Luby (ABG Motorsport Lexus IS200) 1:31.528
Dave Pinkney (JSM Alfa Romeo 147) 1:31.905
Tim Harvey (JSM Alfa Romeo 147) 1:31.939


Simon Harrison (HTML Peugeot 306) 1:43.600
Gavin Pyper (GA Janspeed Alfa Romeo 156) 1:44.394
James Kaye (Barwell Motorsport Honda Accord) 1:44.653
Simon Graves (Barwell Motorsport Honda Accord) 1:45.208
Roger Moen (HTML Peugeot 306) 1:45.212
Gareth Howell (GR Motorsport Ford Focus) 1:45.308