S'Touring qualifying: Honda 1-2-3

The Italian headed team mates James Thompson and Fabrice Walfisch to give the JAS Motorsport team one of its finest hours.

"The team did a great job, it's not easy to run three cars," said Tarquini. "The car was really good and this gives me a good feeling for tomorrow. I feel safe having my team mates around me!"

This was Thompson's first time in an Accord since last year's BTCC finale at Silverstone, barring a two-lap shakedown at Varano last week. The Yorkshireman has been drafted in for the final two rounds to help Tarquini's chase of series leader Fabrizio Giovanardi and his Alfa Romeo team mate Nicola Larini.

"I'm very pleased with that," said Thompson, who races in the BTCC for the Egg Sport Vauxhall squad. "It was like putting on an old pair of trousers! The car is fantastic, it was just a matter of getting used to it. Hopefully we'll stay 1-2-3 tomorrow."

The closest challenger to the Hondas was, surprisingly, Carl Rosenblad's Nissan Primera from the Swedish championship. He just outpaced the quickest of the Alfa drivers, Euro F3000 champion Felipe Massa, who impressively pipped Giovanardi by 0.03secs on his Super Touring debut.

All the Alfa drivers said that the twisty and undulating Jarama track does not suit the 156, and that traction was a big problem. Larini could only manage to set the ninth quickest time, and starts one spot behind Matt Neal's Nissan Primera.

In the championship, Giovanardi leads by seven points from Larini, with Tarquini 29 points off the pace and in need of a big catch-up this weekend to give him a realistic title chance in the series finale at Estoril in Portugal next month.

Gabriele Tarquini, Honda Accord, 1m36.329s
James Thompson, Honda Accord, 1m36.425s
Fabrice Walfisch, Honda Accord, 1m36.451s
Carl Rosenblad, Nissan Primera, 1m36.576s
Felipe Massa, Alfa Romeo 156, 1m36.691s
Fabrizio Giovanardi, Alfa Romeo 156, 1m36.729s