Menu snatches pole for Chevrolet
Chevrolet's Alain Menu took a last-second pole position for the FIA World Touring Car Championship finale at Macau on Saturday to upstage the world title contenders
During a tense session as the different manufacturer teams adopted the slipstream tactics they needed to boost their lap times, several drivers fought it out for the top spot for tomorrow's first race.
Menu had shown his speed with 10 minutes of qualifying remaining to move to the top of the timesheets, but he was knocked off the top spot by BMW's Augusto Farfus just three minutes later.
Joint-championship leader Yvan Muller then appeared to have put the matter beyond his rivals as he stormed to the best time with only four minutes of qualifying left, but Menu saved his best for the very last as he stole the pole position on his final lap of the session.
Behind second place Muller on the grid will be his SEAT teammate Gabriel Tarquini, with Farfus eventually ending up in fourth.
Chevrolet's Nicola Larini will start fifth, ahead of SEAT's Jordi Gene, Chevrolet's Rob Huff and N.Technology's James Thompson.
The session proved to be a disaster for reigning FIA WTCC champion Andy Priaulx, who could not find the pace to match the top guys.
Despite a lot of help from teammate Fredrik Ekblom, he eventually ended up in a lowly 12th place - leaving him with an uphill task if he is to take his third consecutive world title.
Pos Driver Car Time
1. Alain Menu Chevrolet Lacetti 2:31.209
2. Yvan Muller SEAT Leon TDI +0.186
3. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Leon TDI +0.356
4. Augusto Farfus BMW 320si +0.542
5. Nicola Larini Chevrolet Lacetti +0.607
6. Jordi Gene SEAT Leon TDI +0.642
7. Robert Huff Chevrolet Lacetti +0.695
8. James Thompson Alfa Romeo 156 +0.931
9. Tiago Monteiro SEAT Leon +1.202
10. Alessandro Zanardi BMW 320si +1.284
11. Felix Porteiro BMW 320si +1.288
12. Andy Priaulx BMW 320si +1.476
13. Tom Coronel SEAT Leon +1.700
14. Rickard Rydell SEAT Leon +1.747
15. Jorg Muller BMW 320si +1.858
16. Duncan Huisman BMW 320si +1.954
17. Luca Rangoni BMW 320si +2.069
18. Colin Turkington BMW 320si +2.555
19. Pierre-Yves Corthals SEAT Leon +2.817
20. Fredrik Ekblom BMW 320si +2.866
21. Stefano D'aste BMW 320si +2.944
22. Franz Engstler BMW 320i +3.082
23. Carl Rosenblad BMW 320si +4.177
24. Sergio Hernandez BMW 320si +4.674
25. Maurizio Ceresoli SEAT Leon +5.345
26. Miguel Freitas Alfa Romeo 156 +6.662
27. Henry Lee Jr BMW 320i +8.617
28. Andrey Romanov BMW 320i +10.378
Drivers outside 107 per cent
David Louie BMW 320i +14.706
Andre Couto Alfa Romeo 156 No time
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