Photo: WTCC Media

Gabriele Tarquini takes pole in Portimão

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Gabriele Tarquini has taken pole position for the second time in 2012 at Portimão, setting a new lap record around the Portuguese circuit of 1:53.966. Yvan Muller for Chevrolet and Norbert Michelisz for BMW complete the top three.

In the first part of qualifying, is was Gabriele Tarquini was was fastest in the Lukoil Racing Team SEAT León WTCC ahead of the three works Chevrolets of Yvan Muller, Rob Huff and Alain Menu.

The session was red flagged after Tom Chilton’s Arena Ford Focus went out at Turn 5 with what seemed to be damaged suspension. Tiago Monteiro had just set a lap that would be good enough to get him through to Q2, but it was deleted as the red flag had already waved and so he had to do it again with six minutes to spare, which he managed to do so by setting the ninth fastest time.

Tom Boardman left it late to take part in the session in the Special Tuning Racing SEAT León WTCC, and was also on a flying lap when the red flag came out. He was able to set a time good enough for 19th on the grid when the session restarted.

With Chilton unable to improve and with Nash’s best time of 1:56.554 1.7 seconds down on Tarquini’s time, the two Fords will start from the final row of the grid tomorrow.

James Thompson was in the top 12 before the red flag came out, but a number of improvements in the last few minutes saw the Lada driver slip to 17th.

In Q2, there was effectively only one flying lap available to anyone with a two minute lap in a ten minute session. Tarquini was fastest of anyone on the first run of laps, and broke his own record set in FP1 to take pole position, just under three-tenths of a second ahead of Yvan Muller.

Rob Huff and Pepe Oriola driving for Chevrolet and the SUNRED SEAT team respectively aborted their first runs and had one last shot in qualifying. Huff crossed the line to improve to fourth, whilst Pepe Oriola was tenth and secured pole position for the reversed grid for race two.

Alain Menu was ninth fastest in the Chevrolet Cruze running in Vaillante colours and will start from the front row in race two.