Yvan Muller leads SEAT top five

Yvan Muller has taken pole position for the first of tomorrow’s races. The Frenchman was followed by his four team mates, making it a complete top five for SEAT. Jörg Müller was the best non-SEAT driver with his BMW 320si in sixth place, ahead of his team mate Augusto Farfus. Alain Menu and Nicola Larini, both Chevrolet drivers, took eighth and nineth place.

At the beginning of the session the Chevrolet drivers are the first to set a time, together with independent drivers D’Aste, Colak, Coronel, Poulsen and Lada drivers Van Lagen and Ladygin.

After five minutes into the session it’s Kristian Poulsen that causes the first red flag. The Dane loses the rear of his car on the curb stones coming onto the main straight and hits the concrete wall with the front end of his BMW.

When the session restarts ten minutes later, five SEAT’s get on the track immediately. After completing their first lap they have taken over the top five positions, with Yvan Muller on top.

But soon the BMW’s manage to get into the fight as well, as Jörg Müller and Andy Priaulx take over third and fourth place. Chevrolet driver Alain Menu manages to improve as well and takes sixth place.

With eight minutes to go in the session, Kyrill Ladygin spins of in an attempt to improve his time. At that time he was in 22nd place.

Three minutes later the work teams go out to make their final run. The two drivers that improve best are Alain Menu, who jumps to second place, and Gabriele Tarquini, who improves from eleventh to third. But none of the drivers was able to improve on Yvan Muller’s time.

In the second part of the qualifying session Yvan Muller sets the fastest time straight away. Jordi Gene is second, but is half a second slower than his French team mate. Alain Menu in the Chevrolet Cruze is third.

With four minutes left, Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus still haven’t set a time. Their team mate Jörg Müller goes out for a final attempt to attack Yvan Muller’s time. Two minute later Farfus follow the German’s example. Nicola Larini goes out as well for the final time.

As Jörg Müller ends his lap, he jumps to second place, four tenths behind Yvan Muller. But he soon loses this time again, as the SEAT train comes round again and takes over the complete top five. Jordi Gené is second best behind Muller, Tarquini takes third ahead of Monteiro and Rydell.

Augusto Farfus doesn’t make it further than seventh place, just ahead of the Chevrolet’s of Alain Menu and Nicola Larini. Andy Priaulx only managed to do one lap in the end, in which he was the slowest of the pack. He will be starting from tenth on the grid for tomorrow’s first race.