Qual: Heikki rules Jerez

With team boss Sito Pons making a rare appearance at a race meeting, Kovalainen is particularly keen to end the year on a high note after earning the title at a rather poor weekend in Valencia last month. The Finn has tested Formula 1 Renaults at the Andalucian track recently, so yesterday's wet practice didn't hinder him too much.

Monteiro, on the other hand, has never been to Jerez and did well considering he had no dry running before qualifying today. It didn't change the familiar 2004 scenario: Monteiro and Kovalainen were in a class of their own again.

There were a few other noteworthy showings today. Milos Pavlovic brought some smiles to Vergani at last as he will line up fourth for race two. The Yugoslav only graduated from the secondary World Series Lights category at the last round and did a great job despite spinning out at the end of the session.



Karun Chandhok will also be pleased wiith eighth and fifth for RC Motorsport. The Indian is also in his second World Series meeting after moving up from British Formula 3. He couldn't quite beat his team-mate and countryman Narain Karthikeyan though. Karthikeyan starts the two races from seventh and third.



Heikki Kovalainen (Pons Racing) 1m33.317s
Tiago Monteiro (Carlin Motorsport) +0.074s
Jean-Cristophe Ravier (Epsilon Euskadi) +0.145s
Adrian Valles (Pons Racinig) +0.274s
Olivier Pla (Carlin Motorsport) +0.496s
Tristan Gommendy (Saulnier Racing) +0.496s



Heikki Kovalainen (Pons Racing) 1m33.317s
Tiago Monteiro (Carlin Motorsport) +0.074s
Narain Karthikeyan (RC Motorsport) +0.740s
Milos Pavlovic (Vergani Formula) +0.861s
Karun Chandhok (RC Motorsport) +1.010s
Jean-Cristophe Ravier (Epsilon Euskadi) +0.145s