BMW strikes back in France
Having received a trouncing by Alfa Romeo's factory Autodelta squad at Valencia two weeks ago, the ranks of BMW's led by Jorg Muller's BMW Deutschland 320i, struck back in qualifying for tomorrow's two ETCC rounds at Magny-Cours
Much against expectations Muller and his team-mate Dirk Muller filled out the front row. The powerful new Alfa Romeo 156 S2000 was expected to prove strong on the fast straights of the French circuit, but clearly the 40kgs of ballast championship leader Gabriele Tarquini and Fabrizio Giovanardi are carrying this weekend have the Italian cars hard.
Behind the two Mullers, SEAT'S Franck Diefenbacher qualified third in the ever-improving Toledo Cupra ahead of Britain's Andy Priaulx in another 320i. Antonio Garcia's BMW was fifth fastest.
Alfa's super-rookie Augusto Farfus Jr is only carrying 10kgs of ballast but even he could not match BMW's pace and could only manage sixth fastest time ahead of Tarquini and Giovanardi.
SEAT's Rickard Rydell is ninth while Team Oregon's private Alfa driver Michele Bartyan rounded off the top ten.
Diefenbacher's team-mate Jordi Gene was fastest in the first free practice session while the track was drying after overnight rain, but the Spaniard could manage no better than 15th, on place behind Alex Zanardi. Alessandro Balzan qualified the new JAS Honda Accord 17th.
Jorg Muller BMW 320i 1m49.357s
Dirk Muller BMW 320i 1m49.468s
Frank Diefenbacher Seat Toledo Cupra 1m49.509s
Andy Priaulx BMW 320i 1m49.562s
Antonio Garcia BMW 320i 1m49.606s
Augusto Farfus Jr Alfa Romeo 156 S2000 1m49.812s
Gabriele Tarquini Alfa Romeo 156 S2000 1m49.979s
Fabrizio Giovanardi Alfa Romeo 156 S2000 1m49.982s
Rickard Rydell SEAT Toledo Cupra 1m50.111s
Michele Bartyan Alfa Romeo 156 GTa 1m50.220s
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