: Series Vallelunga qualifying report

LIVERPOOL BEAT MILAN AT HOME TO SCORE VALLELUNGA POLE

Liverpool FC turned the tables on AC Milan at Vallelunga today - reversing the 2007 Champions League Final result to win the pole position shootout at the latest round of the Superleague Formula championship.

The two clubs are strong rivals on both the football pitch and the race track - contesting the 2005 and '07 Champions League Finals and also finishing 1-2 in the first race at the Estoril round of the football-themed motor racing championship.

Liverpool FC's Adrian Valles was behind at the first sector split in the single lap pole position shoot-out but bounced back in the final two sectors to push AC Milan's Robert Doornbos from the pole. The result was the first pole position for Liverpool, the UK club that has taken two race victories to date in 2008.

Championship leader Beijing Guoan will start third tomorrow after losing his semi-final to AC Milan. Beijing's Italian driver Davide Rigon holds a 35-point lead in the championship with four races remaining.

Brazilian clubs Flamengo and Corinthians both enjoyed good days at Vallelunga with Flamengo's Tuka Rocha recording his series-best qualifying performance of fourth.

Rocha however, suffered a misfire during his semi-final against Liverpool and was actually passed during his shoot-out lap.

Corinthians' Antonio Pizzonia actually was the fastest driver in the timed qualifying sessions, topping the tables in group A. He unfortunately could not repeat the effort in his quarter final - losing to eventual pole club Liverpool.

Hopes for local club AS Roma were shattered during Franck Perera's quarter final against Beijing. The Estoril pole sitter was unable to topple the championship leader and will now start from position seven in the first race.

Other quarter finalists who did not progress to the semi-final stage were Galatasaray (beaten by Flamengo) and RSC Anderlecht (beaten by AC Milan).

A number of clubs suffered incidents during the damp conditions during the morning with Olympiacos (with new Greek driver Stamatis Katsimis), FC Porto and Al Ain all suffering damage after running off the road.

Olympiacos and Porto made it back on track for qualifying but Al Ain's participation tomorrow is in doubt due to the damage to both the car and driver Paul Meijer who suffered a wrist injury in the impact.

Borussia Dortmund's Enrico Toccacelo also suffered front wing damage in an off on his opening lap of qualifying.

-credit: sf