Menu beats Thompson to pole
Two-times British Touring Car champions Alain Menu and James Thompson claimed the front row in qualifying for the ninth round of the World Touring Car Championship
Thompson, driving one of N.Technology's ageing Alfa Romeo 156s, looked to have pole position in the bag, only for Menu to steal the top spot in the closing stages of the session by just fourteen thousandths of a second.
"I really enjoyed that one, I think it's one of my best pole positions for a long time," said Menu. "I will have a good chance tomorrow being on pole, and if I can lead around the first corner there is a good chance, but it is very close."
WTCC debutant Colin Turkington completed a whitewash of the top three places on the grid for BTCC alumni behind the wheel of a WSR-run BMW 320si.
"It is a really good result for me and the team," said Turkington. "It wasn't what we were expecting coming into the unknown in the WTCC but the team gave me a really good car."
Former Formula One driver Tiago Monteiro was the lead SEAT in fourth on the grid ahead of the diesel-powered Leon of Yvan Muller.
Pierre-Yves Corthals recovered from his massive startline accident in the last round of the championship at Oschersleben to take sixth on the grid and pole in the independents' trophy.
Schnitzer Motorsport's Jorg Muller was best of the three main players in the championship in seventh overall, with defending champion Andy Priaulx 10th on the grid behind Rob Huff's Chevrolet and Jordi Gene's SEAT.
Points leader Augusto Farfus also struggled, qualifying 13th in the tightly-fought session in which the top 18 were covered by just one second.
Pos Driver Car Time 1. Alain Menu Chevrolet Lacetti 1:33.018 2. James Thompson Alfa Romeo 156 1:33.032 + 0.014 3. Colin Turkington BMW 320si 1:33.082 + 0.064 4. Tiago Monteiro SEAT Leon 1:33.202 + 0.184 5. Yvan Muller SEAT Leon TDI 1:33.255 + 0.237 6. Pierre-Yves Corthals SEAT Leon 1:33.289 + 0.271 7. Jorg Muller BMW 320si 1:33.297 + 0.279 8. Jordi Gene SEAT Leon TDI 1:33.354 + 0.336 9. Robert Huff Chevrolet Lacetti 1:33.407 + 0.389 10. Andy Priaulx BMW 320si 1:33.435 + 0.417 11. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Leon 1:33.448 + 0.430 12. Felix Porteiro BMW 320si 1:33.459 + 0.441 13. Augusto Farfus BMW 320si 1:33.517 + 0.499 14. Nicola Larini Chevrolet Lacetti 1:33.606 + 0.588 15. Alessandro Zanardi BMW 320si 1:33.714 + 0.696 16. Tom Coronel SEAT Leon 1:33.717 + 0.699 17. Roberto Colciago SEAT Leon 1:33.887 + 0.869 18. Massimiliano Pedala SEAT Leon 1:33.972 + 0.954 19. Stefano D'Aste BMW 320si 1:34.033 + 1.015 20. Michel Jourdain SEAT Leon 1:34.218 + 1.200 21. Olivier Tielemans Alfa Romeo 156 1:34.325 + 1.307 22. Luca Rangoni BMW 320si 1:34.398 + 1.380 23. Sergio Hernandez BMW 320si 1:34.682 + 1.664 24. Maurizio Ceresoli SEAT Leon 1:34.754 + 1.736 25. Sergey Krylov SEAT Leon 1:36.710 + 3.692
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