Monza: Qualifying quotes

Andy Priaulx BMW Team UK, pole position
"I'm delighted to get pole, for the team and BMW who have come up with a great package. We have a new car and from its very first laps it felt good. However, it is the beginning of the year and I don't want to get too excited because the season doesn't finish until November. We have to keep developing the car because if you stand still in motorsport you move backwards at 100 mph. I have to admit I was concerned I wouldn't make it to qualifying due to the fire caused by a short circuit during the second practice. However it was confined to a small area and my team replaced the parts. There are some extremely strong drivers out there and I have too much respect for my opposition to expect anything more that to do the best job I can."

Yvan Muller- SEAT Sport France, 2nd fastest
"Am I disappointed to have lost pole position? Yes and no. Yes because I only managed to complete one lap. I had to come to the pits with a problem and it was impossible to fix by the end of the session. No because I didn't expect such a good position here. Monza is not the best track for the SEAT cars with its long straight but I have to thank James Thompson for his tow because it helped greatly. On the test days I was three of four seconds slower but at that stage it was a brand new car. The target for tomorrow is to do the best job I can, we will see what the results are."

Augusto Farfus N.technology, 3rd fastest
"We came from the old car and have improved a lot for the start of the season and here we are. This is proven by my position on the grid. The car feels good, it is a pretty good track for the car and I will fight for the podium and win tomorrow. I think it's going to be a tough season but we have a good package and a good team, we can do it. I know it was close between me and Yvan and who knows what will happen for tomorrow. I think it is great for the championship that there is a BMW, a SEAT and an Alfa at the front of the grid, I hope the fans enjoy it."

Alessandro Zanardi BMW Team Italy-Spain, 5th fastest
"This is the best result I have had since I joined the championship, so of course I am extremely happy. It is tough to know what to expect tomorrow and you can never make predictions. However, it would be fantastic to make the podium. History shows the BMW cars are strong and consistent in races and so my good qualifying puts be in a great position. I hope the rain will not make an appearance tomorrow - I'm an Italian, I don't like the rain!"

Emanuele Naspetti GDL Racing, 14th fastest
"I am happy to be the fastest independent driver but I have to say I would be happier if I were in a better position overall. I may be in the independents category but for me I am competing with the entire field and at the end we will see. The first drivers are very close but I think it looks good for the race because we have consistently put in a good performance."

Tom Coronel GR Asia, 15th fastest
"I would have liked to qualify as the fastest independent driver but I am still pleased. In qualifying I had some problems with my brakes so I lost some concentration and speed at the corners. Despite this the car feels good so it will be interesting in the race tomorrow."

Rober Huff Chevrolet, 16th fastest
"It's always good to be the fastest in the team because your team-mates are the guys you compare yourself with seeing as we have exactly the same machinery. I hope it's wet tomorrow. When we were at the test days last week it was raining and we set some competitive times. It would be nice to score some points but we have to be realistic, this is our weakest track and anything can happen. I'm looking forward to the green lights tomorrow."

Pierre-Yves Corthals JAS Motorsport, 21st fastest
"The Honda is a really good car but I need to get to know it better. At the moment every time I go out I am getting faster and faster so it is just a case of familiarisation and practice. Tomorrow my aim is to finish both the races but I would love to be in the top three independents. I am the only Belgian driver here and it feels great to be in this world championship."

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