Qualifying: One for Belgium, one for France

The fact is that Bas Leinders took top spot for the first time this year in the opening session that set the grid for the first race tomorrow. Then Frenchman Bruce Jouanny came along and took the pole in the later qualifying half-hour.

Montagny had to be satisfied with second place on the grid in both sessions, which took place on another sublime day in this never-ending late summer in Europe. That doesn't mean he's going to stop winning though. He's won four of the last six races without starting from pole in any of them.

Carlin driver Narain Karthikeyan came back strongly to take third place for the second race after his morning session was written off by a fuel pump failure that will see him starting the first race tomorrow from the very back of the grid. Another Frenchman, Stéphane Sarrazin, will start third in the first encounter.

Heikki Kovalainen, the Finn who is third in the championship, had an ugly first session in which he could only manage eleventh. However, he will start the second race from a much better fourth place. Jouanny has fourth for race one, which should give him the overtaking practice he hopes he won't need in the second race!

Tomorrow's races take place at 11h45 and 14h15 CET tomorrow (Sunday). Montagny could possibly seal the title, but that seems unlikely because it will need major bad luck for a few of his rivals.