TODAY’S qualifying session is set to be vitally important as the World Touring Car Championship arrives in Pau. It is the first of three meetings this season - the others being in Porto and Macau - to be held on the tight and twisty confines of a city-centre street circuit on which overtaking is tricky, making it imperative for drivers to start as high up on the grid as possible.
For Guernsey’s defending champion Andy Priaulx, that task is made all the more difficult by having 55kg of success ballast due to his excellent weekend in Valencia.
That will become a serious burden at the Circuit de Pau, which is littered with uphill sections.
His will be the equal heaviest car in the foothills of the French Pyrenees along with fellow BMW driver and championship leader Jorg Muller. Both drivers have 31 points thus far.
Third-placed Augusto Farfus, who is three points behind the top two and carries 40kg this weekend, has an even tougher job on his hands as he will be hit with a grid penalty after his collision with Tom Coronel in Spain and will start tomorrow’s first race 10 places further back from wherever he qualifies.
At 45 minutes, today’s qualifying session is 15 longer than usual and that change has been introduced at all street circuits this year in order to limit the problems that might occur on tracks of this nature.
Last year in Macau, two red flags and a rain shower permitted the drivers to complete only two attempts for posting a qualifying lap within the 30 minutes.
The session begins at 2pm BST, with tomorrow’s Eurosport televised two races - rounds seven and eight of the championship - at 9.05am and 2.35pm.
Article posted on 2nd June, 2007 - 12.00am
Loading ...
Most Commented: