Qual: Alfa's Imola 1-2-3
Autodelta's trio of Alfa Romeo's were surprisingly dominant in qualifying for their home European Touring Car Championship event at Imola tomorrow. Former champion Fabrizio Giovanardi took pole position ahead of works team-mates Gabriele Tarquini and Augusto Farfus Jr
For most of this season the front-wheel drive Alfa 156 has been no match for the factory BMW 320is of Dirk and Jorg Muller and Andy Priaulx, but today Giovanardi's pole lap was 1.469s quicker than the fastest BMW could manage in the blazing Italian sun.
In fact the three championship protagonists, BMW Deutschland's Dirk and Jorg Muller, and Priaulx, who are also heavily laden with success ballast after their dominant performances in Spa-Francorchamps last month, all seemed to be in dire trouble on the ultra-hot asphalt.
Priaulx at least managed to qualify in the top ten, but Jorg Muller was 11th behind Antonio Garcia in another BMW, while Dirk Muller, the championship leader, could manage no better than 19th, more than four seconds off the pace!
Behind the three Alfas on the grid is Jordi Gene's consistently fast factory SEAT Toledo, while the privateer Team Oregon 2003-spec Alfa Romeo 156 Gtas, driven by Salavatore Tavano and Luca Rangoni did extremely well to occupy the third row.
Rickard Rydell was seventh in the second SEAT while even Alessandro Balzan's JAS Motorsport Honda Accord was quicker that the BMWs in eighth fastest.
Fabrizio Giovanardi Alfa Romeo 1m58.460s
Gabriele Tarquini Alfa Romeo 1m58.924s
Augusto Farfus Jr Alfa Romeo 1m59.111s
Jordi Gene SEAT Toledo 1m59.221s
Salvatore Tavano Alfa Romeo 1m59.254s
Luca Rangoni Alfa Romeo 1m59.482s
Rickard Rydell SEAT Toledo 1m59.684s
Alessandro Balzan Honda Accord 1m59.902s
Andy Priaulx BMW 320i 1m59.929s
Antonio Garcia BMW 320i 2m00.524s
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