Burti takes Silverstone pole

Marc Hynes, who leads Luciano Burti by just two points in the standings, trailed the Brazilian in today's qualifying sessions by just 0.036s.

Burti was delighted with his Stewart Racing Dallara-Mugen Honda, which was well off the pace in the series' initial visit to the Silverstone International circuit back in April.

'Silverstone is not the best place for us,' he admitted.

'But the car suits the circuit a lot better since we made changes a month ago, although I'm not saying it's perfect.'

Burti's pole position lap was a typically spectacular effort.

'I had massive oversteer at Copse and lost a tenth of a second when that happened,' he said.

'But even so it was pole. I was really going for it.'

Hynes has no fears of starting second in his Manor Motorsport Dallara-Mugen Honda.

'I frightened myself at Copse a few times and gave it everything,' he said.

'But Luciano did the same and came up a tad quicker. You can fluke it by the wind blowing one way or the other.

'I'd have been happier to have been on pole, but I usually start quicker when I'm second!'

Both drivers set their times in the morning session, most teams using both sets of tyres because they believed the afternoon period would be slower.

As it happened there wasn't much difference, with Hynes getting very close to matching his earlier times.

Burti even reckoned the track was a touch quicker, but in common with his main rivals he had already used the best of his tyres during the morning.

Jenson Button is close at hand, starting his Promatecme Dallara-Renault third.

This car was slowest but one on the speed trap in the morning, prompting an engine change for the afternoon.

'Apart from being third I'm pleased with the car. I came in and didn't have much to say to the team about it, which is unusual!'

Fourth is the best effort yet for Tim Spouge, who has really picked up confidence in his SS Sport Dallara-Opel and shocked the front-runners.

He edged out Matt Davies [Fortec Motorsport Dallara-Mugen] and Aluizio Coelho
[Promatecme Dallara-Renault] who share the third row.

The top 10 is completed by Kristian Kolby, Narain Karthikeyan, Andrew Kirkaldy and a flu-ridden Toby Scheckter.