Qualifying 2: Pantano's first pole

Bourdais, who had been quickest after the first session, failed to improve in the second and dropped to fourth. Pantano had been fastest for most of the first and deserved to take the top slot, which was also Coloni Motorsport's maiden pole.

"I gained confidence in the car and the circuit," he said. "The car was absolutely brilliant."

But the story of qualifying was about Tomas Enge. The Czech had an electrical problem with his Zytek engine that limited him to just a single flying lap in the first session. He started the second with the slowest time, but with four minutes left he put in a great effort to take the other front row grid position.

"I was finding a balance for the car and I was building up speed," he said. "I was confident it was just a matter of time before we got it right."

His team-mate Bjorn Wirdheim will start Saturday's race in third, putting another car between Enge and championship rival Bourdais. Tomas is just five points behind the Frenchman and has a chance to gain more ground this weekend. Yet despite starting in front of Bourdais, Enge was uncharacteristically grumpy after qualifying.

A win tomorrow will be the only thing to put him in a better mood.