|
N.Technology
driver James Thompson qualified 12th today in Valencia with the Honda
Accord Euro R Super 2000, developed together with JAS Motorsport, despite the
car having never run in wet conditions before.
A
thunderstorm 30 minutes before the half-hour qualifying session drenched the
track, sending many of Thompson's rivals off the track as struggled to adapt to
the level of grip. The N.Technology driver avoided any spins however, and kept
improving the car and subsequent lap times, despite having no experience of the
championship's new wet tyres.
With
just five days of testing behind it since the project started in January, all in
dry conditions, Thompson set a time of 2:00.543secs with his final lap of the
qualifying session: a time good enough for 12th position.
Thompson
will start the first of Sunday's two races from the sixth row of the grid,
meaning he is within touching distance of the crucial top eight points-scoring
positions for the car's debut in the World Touring Car
Championship.
James
Thompson, car number 15
"Obviously
it's the first time in the rain with the car and we were just getting quicker
each lap. If we had more time we could have worked on the set-up of the car and
gone quicker. In a way it's disappointing to be 12th because now we
have some experience in the wet we could have gone a lot faster."
Mauro
Sipsz, Team principal
"Qualifying
in the rain today didn't help us on our first race weekend of the season. James
still did a great job to improve his lap time at the end of the session.
N.Technology is all about winning and success and we look forward to getting
back to our usual ways."
FIA
World Touring Car Championship - Valencia
Qualifying
(Round five)
1. Yvan
Muller (FRA), SEAT Leon TDI, 1:58.816
2.
Gabriele Tarquini (ITA), SEAT Leon TDI, 1:59.514
3.
Alain Menu (SUI), Chevrolet Lacetti, 1:59.610
4. Rob
Huff (GBR), Chevrolet Lacetti, 1:59.624
5.
Jordi Gene (ESP), SEAT Leon TDI, 1:59.902
6. Andy
Priaulx (GBR), BMW 320si, 1:59.941
7. Jorg
Muller (GER), BMW 320si, 2:00.043
8.
Augusto Farfus (BRA), BMW 320si, 2:00.074
12.
James Thompson (GBR), Honda Accord Euro R S2000, 2:00.543
|
