Qualifying 1: Montagny on top

The tall Frenchman lapped a damp but drying track in his Racing Engineering-run Dallara-Nissan in 1m24.696s, two-tenths quicker than the 7UP-backed car of testing pacesetter Rafael Sarandeses (GD Racing).

"I'm actually a bit upset," said Montagny. "I was trying to make sure I passed the line just before the chequered flag came out, so I would have another lap, which I did but I then made a big mistake and wrecked the lap time anyway. It didn't help that my radio wasn't working; it just kept beeping in my ears! In the end it was OK."

His team-mate, reigning FIA F3000 champion Justin Wilson, wasn't so lucky. The equally lanky Englishman was second when he was shown the chequered flag, but then tumbled down the order as the opposition effectively had an extra lap over him in the improving conditions.

"I crossed the line in P2, was told I was P5 halfway around the track, and by the time I got back to the pits I was seventh," he rued. "I lost a lap near the end when a guy clipped a kerb and spun in front of me. I think the conditions suited the car, and it felt pretty good. I was quick, just not quite quick enough."

Wilson will line up behind third fastest man Ricardo Zonta (Gabord Competicion), Bas Leinders (KTR), Ander Vilarino (Epsilon by Graff) and Narain Karthikeyan (RC Motorsport) - the Indian recovering after a recent bout of food poisoning.

A number of cars spun off during the session, including Andre Couto (Vergani Racing) and Angel Burgueno (Repsol Meycom). The latter spun off at the fast right-hander and glanced the tyrewall, requiring a tractor to lift him out of the gravel and behind the wall. Five minutes later, he miraculously reappeared and set the 11th fastest time.

Qualifying for race two starts at 13.40 local time (12.40BST).



Franck Montagny, Racing Engineering, 1m24.696s
Rafael Sarandeses, 7UP GD Racing, 1m24.864s
Ricardo Zonta, Gabord Competicion, 1m24.943s
Bas Leinders, KTR, 1m25.196s
Ander Vilarino, Epsilon by Graff, 1m25.344s
Narain Karthikeyan, Tata RC Motorsport, 1m25.532s
Justin Wilson, Racing Engineering, 1m25.688s
Antonio Garcia, Adrian Campos Motorsport, 1m25.987s
Nicolas Filiberti, Zele Motorsport, 1m26.003s
Jean-Christophe Ravier, Epsilon by Graff, 1m26.087s
Angel Burgueno, Repsol Meycom, 1m26.139s
Andre Couto, Vergani Racing, 1m26.558s
Polo Villaamil, Adrian Campos Motorsport, 1m26.788s
Felix Porteiro, Vergani Racing, 1m26.819s
Peter Sundberg, Tata RC Motorsport, 1m26.856s
Tuka Rocha, Gabord Competicion, 1m27.285s
Luciano Gomide, KTR, 1m27.959s
Victor Ordonez, Repsol Meycom, 1m28.088s
Damien Faulkner, Zele Motorsport, 1m29.056s
Roberto Gonzalez, 7UP GD Racing, 1m30.544s