Alberto Cerqui leads the Superstars in Britain

Alberto Cerqui will start the first ever Superstars race in Britain from pole position, as he beat Andrea Bertolini and Johnny Herbert to pole. The former Grand Prix winner had been on provisional pole halfway through the session, raising hopes of home success, but was eventually pipped by the BMW of Cerqui and Bertolini’s Maserati.

The first three qualifiers were covered by less than 0.15 of a second as the International Superstars Series make its first visit to the UK with a pair of races at Donington Park. Cerqui, who turns 19 on Monday took pole by just 0.093 from the Maserati of Bertolini, with Herbert’s Mercedes third, a further 0.048 back.

Series leader Thomas Biagi qualified seventh in his ROAL Motorport run Team BMW Italia, behind championship rival Luigi Ferrara who will start race one fourth.

Earlier in the day Cerqui had topped the first practice session ahead of Biagi and Massimo Pigoli, with Herbert fifth, while in the second session Ferrara led the way from Biagi and Francesco Sini, with Herbert twelfth.

The opening Superstars race from Donington gets underway at 10.40 GMT, with race two coming at 15.30 GMT.