Muller leads BMW qualifying sweep

Muller pipped Schnitzer team-mate and local hero Augusto Farfus by just 0.055 seconds in a battle which was only decided in the dying moments of qualifying.

Defending champion Andy Priaulx briefly put his Racing Bart Mampaey-run BMW on pole in the closing stages, only for first Farfus and then Muller to relegate him to third on the grid. The BMW lockout was completed by GP2 graduate Felix Porteiro, who was just under four-tenths off the pole time on his WTCC debut for the ROAL team.

Former European Touring Car champion Gabriele Tarquini was best of the rest, putting his SEAT Leon fifth on the grid, provisionally alongside team-mate Yvan Muller. However, Muller ran accross a chicane on his fastest lap and his time is under investigation.

Rob Huff was the best of the three Chevrolets, stealing seventh place with a last-gasp lap after his first two attempts were blighted by traffic in the final corner. He leads the GR-Asia SEAT of Tom Coronel and the factory Leon of Jordi Gene.

Alex Zanardi completed the top ten, putting his ROAL-run BMW up the order in the closing stages of the session.

In the independents' trophy, Pierre-Yves Corthals claimed a surprise pole position in his Exagon Engineering-run SEAT. However, it was a close run thing, as Proteam Motorsport's Luca Rangoni set an identical time in his BMW, only to lose out as Corthals had set the time first.

James Thompson will start 15th on his return to the N.Technology Alfa Romeo team, two places ahead of WTCC newcomer and former Champ Car race winner Michel Jourdain Jr.

Qualifying times:

Pos  Driver                Make               Time
 1.  Jorg Muller           BMW 320si          1:24.769
 2.  Augusto Farfus        BMW 320si          1:24.824  + 0.055
 3.  Andy Priaulx          BMW 320si          1:24.974  + 0.205
 4.  Felix Porteiro        BMW 320si          1:25.149  + 0.380
 5.  Gabriele Tarquini     SEAT Leon          1:25.173  + 0.404
 6.  Yvan Muller           SEAT Leon          1:25.328  + 0.559
 7.  Robert Huff           Chevrolet Lacetti  1:25.479  + 0.710
 8.  Tom Coronel           SEAT Leon          1:25.512  + 0.743
 9.  Jordi Gene            SEAT Leon          1:25.549  + 0.780
10.  Alessandro Zanardi    BMW 320si          1:25.775  + 1.006
11.  Nicola Larini         Chevrolet Lacetti  1:25.820  + 1.051
12.  Pierre-Yves Corthals  SEAT Leon          1:25.857  + 1.088
13.  Luca Rangoni          BMW 320si          1:25.857  + 1.088
14.  Alain Menu            Chevrolet Lacetti  1:25.864  + 1.095
15.  James Thompson        Alfa Romeo 156     1:25.937  + 1.168
16.  Sergio Hernandez      BMW 320si          1:25.965  + 1.196
17.  Michel Jourdain       SEAT Leon          1:26.155  + 1.386
18.  Olivier Tielemans     Alfa Romeo 156     1:26.763  + 1.994
19.  Stefano D'Aste        BMW 320si          1:26.765  + 1.996
20.  Emmet O'Brien         SEAT Leon          1:27.032  + 2.263