Gabriele Tarquini takes shock pole at Monza

Gabriele Tarquini has taken his first pole position since Valencia 2010, and the first non-Chevrolet pole position since October of the same year with Lukoil Racing and the team’s new SEAT turbo engine.

The Italian was quickest in the first section of qualifying after borrowing the tow of the three works Chevrolets ahead of him, and in the second session worked with the BMW of Tom Coronel in the second part of qualifying to take pole position ahead of Yvan Muller by 0.059s.

Tarquini will line-up on the grid for the first race ahead of the four Chevrolets of Muller, Rob Huff, Alain Menu and Rickard Rydell.

Tom Coronel was the best placed BMW driver in sixth, with Pepe Oriola the best placed independent driver in the SUNRED SEAT León in seventh, who takes his first career independents’ pole.

With the new grid format, the grid for race two will be the top ten qualifying results reversed, which means Zengo Motorsport’s Norbert Michelisz will start from pole for race two ahead of Aleksei Dudukalo’s Lukoil SEAT.

“To be honest no, especially after Tuesday we had a lot of problems, the car was assembled here in Monza, we just tested three times with this new engine,” said Tarquini.

“I know very well the car, the car is the same but the engine is completely new and the electronics are new so it’s quite hard to understand the way to go but it was great – especially in Monza at my home track and especially because I don’t have a big team like in the past so you must find a good slipstream.”

Reigning champion Yvan Muller was pragmatic about the result, with Chevrolet’s run of pole positions coming to an unexpected end, remarking on Tarquini’s result:
“I’m not surprised at all, he’s a quick driver…and he has a good car and a good team, plus the fact we’re carrying some extra weight so I’m quite pleased with the result we did today.”