20.09.2003  IN AN INCREBIBLY TIGHT QUALIFYING SESSION JORG MULLER PIPS GABRIELE TARQUINI TO POLE BY 0.009 SECONDS

In an incredibly close session, three drivers contended for the pole position till the last gasp. Gabriele Tarquini had set the mark, with a time of 1:33.462, improving by half-a-second Tom Coronel’s 2002 pole position. The Alfa Romeo man kept the provisional pole until the final two minutes, when Jörg Müller completed a lap in 1:33.453, ousting Tarquini by only 9 thousandths of a second. 

But the session wasn’t over yet, as Andy Priaulx started his final attempt a few seconds before the chequered flag was waved. The Briton was clocked at 1:33.483, a time which was enough for the third position on the grid, but cost him the pole for only 3 hundreths. As frequently happened during the season, a large group of drivers qualified within a narrow gap. Only four tenths separated the seventh-placed Roberto Colciago from the pole, and thirteen of the twenty-one cars taking part in the event, were covered by one second. 

Behind the top three, Antonio García posted the fourth fastest time with a lap in 1:33.668, which was exactly one tenth faster than his team-mate Fabrizio Giovanardi’s best time; the reigning FIA ETCC champion qualified in fifth position. The other Autodelta drivers, Nicola Larini and Colciago will fill the 6th and 7th positions on the grid for tomorrow’s race one, just ahead of Dirk Müller. The German youngster could not complete the session, as the Stewards stopped him with 12 minutes left. Dirk went off in a chicane, and his BMW remained stuck in the gravel trap. This caused the session to be red-flagged for a few minutes. Finally Dirk managed to exit from the gravel trap, but because he was responsible for the red flag, the Stewards sent him straight to the parc fermé. 

Tom Coronel emerged as the fastest of the Independent drivers; his best lap in 1:34.052 was good for the ninth position on the grid. Rickard Rydell and his Volvo S60 completed the top-ten. On his home track, Frank Diefenbacher was the best of the SEAT drivers; he qualified his Toledo Cupra in 12th position, 0.8 seconds from the pole. Tomas Engström set the 15th fastest time at the wheel of his PRO Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R, while his team-mate André Couto was ranked 21st, his engine plagued by misfire problems. The two German newcomers, Sebastian Stahl and Reinhard Huber qualified 19th and 20th. 

DRIVER QUOTES

Gabriele TARQUINI: “I feel bad because I lost pole position by inches. But I also feel very confident, because my car was very good, on both new and used tyres. I had just one run on new tyres, as on my second one I encountered yellow flags and I decided to save the third set for tomorrow. I’m optimistic for the races, although they will be very difficult, because the track is dusty and it’s easy to make mistakes. Having four new tyres would prove crucial, because here it’s very important to start the race with new front tyres.” 

Sebastian STAHL: “My first day in the ETCC was quite hard. I have only tested the car a few times, and I know I have to learn a lot. Today, with only ninety minutes between practice and qualifying, there was not enough time to get used to the car. Most of the drivers in the Championship are professionals, while I’m just a rookie from the Alfa 147 Cup. However I’m disappointed by my result, and tomorrow I’ll do my best to improve.” 

Reinhard HUBER: “I had some problems to find a clear lap, between the yellow flags and the red flag. But this is an incredibly competitive Championship, and I hope I will manage to do a better job tomorrow.”