A1GP QUALIFYING AT ALGRAVE // TEAM NETHERLANDS ON POLE

In the four separate qualifying sessions at the new Algarve Autodrome, Team Netherlands set themselves up for a realistic challenge for the A1GP title, as Robert Doornboss managed to qualify second for the Sprint Race and pole for Sunday's Feature Race.
 
Having arrived at the Portugese venue, and with the final round of the series now being held in Mexico City, there are just two weekends left after this Sunday's Feature Races at Algarve.
 
The freshly built circuit was commended by most drivers as being quite challenging due to many elevation changes with blind brows and a good mix of fast and slow turns... [read more]

Sprint Race qualifying started disastrously for Championship leaders, Team Switzerland, as Neel Jani suffered an engine malady and stopped out on circuit without completing a lap. This left them without a car for the second ten minute sprint session, therefore Jani will be at the back of the grid come Sunday's Sprint Race.
 
Most runners chose not to use their extra 60bhp Powerboost in the sprint sessions, with the exception of Team Italy and  F1 Force India reserve driver, Vitantonio Liuzzi, who, making his debut in the series, ended the two sessions on pole for the Sprint Race, just ahead of Doornboss for Team Netherlands and Adam Carroll for Team Ireland.

Feature Qualifying saw an improved performance by Team USA and Marco Andretti who will line up in the 8th spot.

The battle for pole was between Team Netherlands and Team Ireland, and since most runners chose to use their one shot of Powerboost in the feature session, it was a rapidly changing line up as the ten minutes counted down. Team Switzerland quickly located the engine fault and sent Jani out early, and half way through the short session he was atop the pile, ahead of Team South Africa and Team Brazil. With two minutes to go, Team Malaysia put in a quicker lap time, but with just a minute left in the session, Doornboss in the Team Netherlands car staked his claim for top spot with a 1:30.415 lap, four tenths quicker than Liuzzi's Sprint Race pole lap.
 
Team Ireland completed their lap with Adam Carroll taking second ahead of the recovering Jani and Adrian Zaugg in the South African car. Team Portugal failed to make the top five as youngster Phillipe Alberque made a mistake on his hot lap, running wide through one of the tightening right handers behind the pits.

Can Team Netherlands take their chance and make it even tighter at the top of the Championship standings come Sunday? Stay tuned!
 
 
Editiorial: Neil Tozer
Photo: A1GP