Priaulx on pole in Germany

Andy Priaulx took pole position today at Oschersleben, Germany. The track was quite wet and the drivers had a hard time to get clean laps. James Thompson will start second on the grid with Rickard Rydell third.

Gabriele Tarquini will start fourth ahead of Augusto Farfus Jr in fifth. Farfus, and the rest of the Alfa Romeo-drivers, are having 20 kilos reduced from their minimum weight for this race.

Andy Priaulx – pole position

“Today everybody had one go on new tyres so it was fair but totally hectic. It was a tough session and the hardest thing was the traffic. The circuit was busy with a lot of shuffling going on. I was lucky to build a bit of a gap in the traffic and I was very happy with the lap.

When you go out you don’t really know what to expect from the car or the circuit so you have to rely a little bit on your instinct so it’s a great feeling when you perform it that situation. In the free practice sessions I was aquaplaning as I did in Brands Hatch. When that happens there really isn’t much you can do so we have to find out why the car aquaplanes so readily.

In the dry and in the damp the car is fine. Perhaps I asked a little bit too much of myself in the last race by trying to win when maybe it wasn’t possible. I lost a lot of points and now I need to focus on driving to the potential of what I have and keep chipping away at the points.”

James Thompson – 2nd fastest

“It was a very tricky session. After the chequered flag there was quiet on the radio and I couldn’t work out whether that was because the result was good or bad. I didn’t dare ask so it wasn’t until I got to parc ferme that I heard I’d qualified 2nd. In that session it was about having good track position, a clear lap and a good car under you.

In the busy conditions you have to drive the car as best you can without making a mistake. The question is, ‘do you push to the maximum and risk throwing it off and losing everything?’ It is a matter of measuring you approach. Most of us probably gave it our best shot and worried about the consequences later which was an approach that paid off for me.

I’m looking forward to a strong race here. I feel comfortable in the car and it’s working fantastically well at this track. This is the sort of circuit where we should have a strong pace and definitely fight for the victory.”

Rickard Rydell – 3rd fastest

“The BMWs were situated at the end of the pit lane and as a result they were able to sit with their tyre warmers on until the last minute before heading straight out with hotter tyres than us. Still, sitting 2nd, 3rd and 4th on the grid is good for SEAT. I would like to have points in both races tomorrow and it is certainly possible for us to win as we did in 2004 because the car is fast and goes well on this circuit.”