Priaulx takes Dubai pole

Only Priaulx and fellow BMW drivers Jorg Muller and Dirk Muller can still take the title, with Dirk Muller in comfortably the best points position - 12 ahead of Priaulx and 17 ahead of Jorg with just 20 left on the table.

Priaulx's pole - his first of the season - has come at just the right time though, the Channel Islander blasting to a time over half a second quicker than anyone else could manage in blisteringly hot conditions and around a second better than the Mullers managed in their Schnitzer-run cars.

Better still for Priaulx, the Mullers were off the pace, struggling to find a good set-up and only qualifying ninth (Jorg) and 10th (Dirk). Between the Briton and his German rivals on the grid will be six Alfa Romeos and a SEAT.

Alfa privateer Luca Rangoni sprung a surprise with second best time, while the factory Alfas fill the next four places with Gabriele Tarquini ahead of James Thompson, Augusto Farfus and Fabrizio Giovanardi.

Andy Priaulx BMW 2m11.688s
Luca Rangoni Alfa Romeo 2m12.194s
Gabriele Tarquini Alfa Romeo 2m12.205s
James Thompson Alfa Romeo 2m12.270s
Augusto Farfus Alfa Romeo 2m12.282s
Fabrizio Giovanardi Alfa Romeo 2m12.510s
Rickard Rydell SEAT 2m12.584s
Salvatore Tavano Alfa Romeo 2m12.608s
Jorg Muller BMW 2m12.615s
Dirk Muller BMW 2m12.771s