Qualifying was wet to start with, conditions that I absolutely revel in. I joined the circuit and the car felt really good, loads of grip and mega traction. I was running second in class and 13th overall for the first half of the session, then it began to slowly dry out - although it was still very wet and greasy in some spots on the circuit. I made a wrong call and came in for a new set of wets at the half-way point; it was very touch and go whether it was wets or slicks and the clouds were very dark above!
When I rejoined the circuit I noticed that the car was not pulling as strongly up the hills as it should have done. I stayed out as there was only seven minutes left in the session but my car was consistently losing more and more power as the time was ticking away. As a definite dry line had developed I came in to change for slicks as a final attempt to salvage something from the session, but it was to no avail, my alternator failed on my out lap and I lost all power after Graham Hill Bend. That left me on the last row of the grid with none other than Jordi Gene, the works factory SEAT Spain driver. Not a good feeling at my home race!
When I woke up on Sunday morning the sun was out and even though the weather forecast had said it was going to be heavy rain all day, I thought they were wrong again! That was until I had finished breakfast, and in that thirty-minute period nice sunny weather had given way to dark skies and heavy rain! My prayers had been answered!
In race one it was only just very lightly showering before the start. Jordi Gene had been told by my team that I would work with him not against him - that was until I heard he was running on slicks! I thought he was crazy, but it was a brave move and if it had dried he would have been a hero; it was probably a calculated risk from the SEAT boys as he was starting so far down.
