Title rivals Fabrizio Giovanardi and
Mat Jackson have work to do on race day after a somewhat disappointing performance in qualifying for the latest rounds of the HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship at
Donington Park.
Defending champion – and current leader – Giovanardi admitted prior to the weekend that the East Midlands circuit wasn't amongst his favourites, although that didn't prevent him from setting the third quickest time during the opening practice session of the weekend.
However, he slipped to ninth in the second session and then could only manage eighth place in qualifying having been stripped of all his times with less than ten minutes of the session remaining which left the Italian battling the clock to get a time in.
"Unfortunately due to losing our qualifying position there was very little time remaining for me to post quick laps," he said. "In the end I'm happy with eighth position as I really couldn't do more. The BTCC races are long so there should be opportunities to move up the field and get a good result."
Despite that disappointment, Giovanardi will still line up well ahead of Jackson, who could only manage 14th on the grid in his
BMW Dealer Team UK 320si after a day that saw him struggling to find the best set-up on the low-grip surface.
However he remains confident of an improved performance on race day, when he admitted anything could happen.
"It wasn't the best but we can just look forward," he said. "We need to try and get three solid results and find the pace that we know is there. The weather may not be good and could be different, so that will change things.
"The low-grip surface doesn't suit the BMW and we need to find the things in the car to try and improve. We know there is something and just need to find it. Tomorrow is a different day and you don't know what will happen; the top 13 might take each other off at the first corner! We need to make the best of what we've got. Hopefully we will have better race pace and will make up some places off the line."
