27.03.2004 "I didn't expect to be so good in my first qualifying in a touring car. I'm surprised, but quite happy with the result" POST QUALIFYING REACTION FROM MONZA

Gabriele TARQUINI: "I think half of the improvement in the pole position time from last year was due to the tyres. We changed the type of the tyres, and this is a big advantage which enabled me to beat last year’s pole time by more than two seconds.

"I also got a really good slipstream from my team-mate Augusto (Farfus), who did a fantastic job. Here in Monza, slipstreaming is very important to make a good lap time. The team did a very good job as well. We use a brand new car, which was only finished one day before the test days we had three weeks ago.

"But I think tomorrow will be a different story. The standing start is not as good for us as it is for BMW; therefore I would be very happy to arrive second or third at the first corner."

Augusto FARFUS: "I didn't expect to be so good in my first qualifying in a touring car. I'm surprised, but quite happy with the result. I have yet to learn to understand how to drive this kind of cars, and then I can fight for the points.

"So I’m very relaxed in facing tomorrow’s races. I'm not afraid of the challenge. I have a good team and a lot of support, and I will do my best to score some points or maybe even end up on the podium tomorrow.

"At the end of the day, when you're driving at the limit, it doesn't matter if you're sitting in a single-seater or in a touring car, it's all the same."