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N.Technology Scored its 100th Pole Position |
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Saturday, 19 May 2007 |
James Thompson has further secured his place in touring car history by scoring N.Technology’s 100th pole position with Alfa Romeo in today’s FIA World Touring Car Championship qualifying session in Spain.
The N.Technology Alfa Romeo driver recorded his best time early on in the session at Valencia, setting the scene for a tense 30 minutes for his team as SEAT driver, Yvan Muller, came within 0.001s of the 32-year-old Brit.
Thompson's Alfa Romeo 156 held out to the end, however, and he says
there is no reason he cannot turn this landmark achievement into the
team’s 146th race win with the marque in tomorrow's first race.
The team’s second driver, Olivier Tielemans, will start from 20th on
the grid despite finishing second-fastest in this morning’s second free
practice.
N.Technology Alfa Romeo Team Principal, Mauro Sipsz, congratulates James Thompson on his pole position
James Thompson, car number 15
It was a neat and tidy lap but I could have gone faster. In the
remaining laps I was trying to be faster but ultimately made a couple
of mistakes and ended slower. Looking at the people at the front, I
think the start of tomorrow’s race will be anything but neat and tidy!
It’s not a difficult circuit for overtaking, but hopefully the
strengths of our car will be enough so we can keep everybody behind.
We were on pole here last year and since then everybody but us has made
big changes; if you asked anybody if they think their car is faster
than last year, I think they would say yes. So we must have taken a big
step forward since Zandvoort to have repeated last year’s form here
again.
I think a lot of credit has to go to the team. They have worked
exceptionally hard behind the scenes. Everybody’s been pushing in the
right direction.
Mauro Sipsz, Team Principal
This is an historic day for N.Technology, but it’s only the first step
for tomorrow. We've achieved a milestone - out 100th pole position -
despite still developing the Alfa 156 so we’re very happy. If you
consider the age of our race car this further endorses the dedication
and innovation of the N.Technology team.
We needed a result and the team is euphoric. It's a very proud day.
2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship
QUALIFYING - VALENCIA
1. James Thompson (GBR), Alfa Romeo 156, 1:43.954
2. Yvan Muller (FRA), SEAT Leon, 1:43.955
3. Andy Priaulx (GBR), BMW 320si, 1:44.114
4. Jordi Gene (ESP), SEAT Leon, 1:44.228
5. Michel Jourdain (MEX), SEAT Leon, 1:44.234
6. Nicola Larini (ITA), Chevrolet Lacetti, 1:44.261
7. Augustus Farfus (BRA), BMW 320si, 1:44.265
8. Alain Menu (SUI), Chevrolet Lacetti, 1:44.280
20. Olivier Tielemans (NED), Alfa Romeo 156, 1:45.076
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