Macau: Amended qualifying notes

BEST TIME DISALLOWED FOR ANDRE' COUTO

SEAT Sport's Macau driver André Couto had his best qualifying time disallowed because he failed to stop at the weighing bay.

Couto who had posted the 18th fastest lap will therefore be demoted to the 20th on the grid for Sunday's Race 1.

ELEVEN COMPETITORS FINED BY EURO 1,000

Eleven competitors have been fined by euro 1,000 for queuing up in the fast lane before the green light at the exit of the pit lane was lit, in breach of Bulletin 1, Article. 2.

The offences occurred immediately before the session was resumed following the two red-flag periods.

The competitors fined were: Duncan Huisman, Augusto Farfus, Gianni Morbidelli, Fabrizio Giovanardi, Stefano D'Aste, Luca Rangoni, Diego Romanini, Robert Huff, Alain Menu, André Couto and Peter Terting.

DRIVERS OUT OF QUALIFICATION LIMIT

Due to the two red-flag periods that disrupted qualifying and the rain that came halfway through the session, eleven drivers could not post a lap time within the qualification limit of 2:44.268.

All these drivers -- Alessandro Zanardi, Jordi Gené, André Couto, Salvatore Tavano, Robert Huff, Alain Menu, Rickard Rydell, Diego Romanini, Nicola Larini, James Thompson and Ao Chi Hong -- have been authorized by the Stewards to take the start.

MENU DROPPED BY TEN PLACES TWICE

Chevrolet's Alain Menu will be dropped ten positions on the grids for both Race 1 and Race 2.

The penalty is a consequence of an incident that involved the Swiss driver and Dirk Müller during the deceleration lap of the second race at Valencia.

The Stewards judged Menu responsible for causing an avoidable collision and imposed a euro 5,000 fine.

However, because he had received a suspended penalty of ten grid positions due to a previous collision (with Luca Rangoni at Istanbul), he will be dropped tomorrow.

ENGINE CHANGE FOR NICOLA LARINI

After he was among the fastest drivers in the testing and free practice sessions Nicola Larini had a very unlucky qualifying as he crashed at the "R" bend on his first flying lap.

The head-on crash also resulted in an engine change on his Chevrolet Lacetti car and consequently a drop of ten positions on the grid for the first race.

-credit: fia wtcc