Margaritis takes double pole

In the first qualifying session (to determine the grid for race two on Sunday) the Greek driver (MB Racing Performance) set the pace early on, only for his rivals to seize the initiative. However, Margaritis hit back in the dying moment of the session to bag the first pole of his F3 career.

"There was a lot of traffic at the start, but at the end of the session, I managed to get two clear laps," said Margaritis. "Everything was perfect. This first pole position is really a dream come true!"

Timo Glock (Opel Team KMS) was second fastest in the session, but is hoping for a repeat of the form he showed at the last round. He said: "I hope that the finish will be the same as at Hockenheim, when I overtook Margaritis in the final corner to take the win..."

The second session (for race one) began in chilly conditions (-2 degrees!) but Margaritis stayed hot, although a spin at Estoril cost him a chunk of time. Luckily, Margaritis was able to return to the fray for the final five minutes, when the track was at its fastest, and snatched pole on his final lap.

"When I put the new tyres on, I spun," he explained. "I thought that the session was over for me, but after three minutes, the engine started up again. I think it was a lucky sign!"

Markus Winkelhock (Mucke Motorsport) ended the session in second, boosted by the fact that Olivier Pla, his rival for third in the championship standings, was down in fifth. Local favourite Simon Abadie (LD Autosport) was third fastest.

Margaritis' nearest rivals from race one both had a torrid time. A mistake by glock ended his session early, leaving him at the back of the grid for today's race. Meanwhile, new champion Ryan Briscoe (Mucke), who qualified third for race two, will start 27th after a gearbox problem.

"After stopping in the pits, I got going again, but 4th gear was not working, and I quickly realised that qualifying was over for me," said the Australian. "I was 7th at that point, but that is when the times started to come down."

Alexandros Margaritis MB Racing Performance Dallara-Opel 1m34.855s
Markus Winkelhock Mucke Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes 1m34.885s
Simon Abadie LD Autosport Dallara-Mugen 1m35.191s
Fabio Carbone Signature Plus Dallara-Sodemo 1m35.286s
Olivier Pla ASM Dallara-Mercedes 1m35.371s
Robert Kubica Prema Powerteam Dallara-Opel 1m35.391s

Alexandros Margaritis MB Racing Performance Dallara-Opel 1m34.678s
Timo Glock KMS Dallara-Opel 1m34.998s
Ryvan Briscoe Prema Powerteam Dallara-Opel 1m35.069s
Alexandra Premat ASM Dallara-Mercedes 1m35.070s
Nicola Lapierre Signature Plus Dallara-Renault 1m35.093s
Christian Klien Mucke Motorsport Dallara-Mercedes 1m35.258s