Oschersleben: BMW qualifying report

Farfus claims pole on BMW home ground -- Priaulx comes third.

BMW Team RBM had a successful qualifying session for round 15 of the FIA World Touring Car Championship. Augusto Farfus put in a 1:38.070-minute lap in Oschersleben, securing pole position for Sunday's first race. His team-mate, Andy Priaulx, qualified third on the grid. Farfus claims pole on BMW home ground -- Priaulx comes third.

Both BMW works drivers kept their cool when it started raining at the beginning of the second phase of qualifying. They each clocked a quick lap, securing promising grid positions for BMW's home event. Farfus scored his 11th WTCC pole and will start from first on the grid for the second time this season.

BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen:

"It was all about the right timing in today's qualifying, as the weather had a huge impact on the outcome of the session. In the first qualifying phase Andy and Augusto managed to set competitive lap times straight away, easily advancing into Q2 without any problems. In the opening moments of the second session the rain began to fall. Again Andy and Augusto managed to clinch top positions by setting good lap times. So we were first and third when the session was red-flagged and the rain got heavier. I'm satisfied with this result for our drivers, and I'm especially delighted about Augusto's pole position. We are now in a strong position for tomorrow's races."

Bart Mampaey (Team Principal):

"In a way today we were able to take revenge for our difficult qualifying session in Zolder, when our timing in rainy conditions was not ideal. This time we went out at the right time with both cars. Before that we had been able to qualify comfortably for Q2 with our two runs. The second session turned into a gamble. Initially we were first and second, before Robert Huff managed to squeeze between Augusto and Andy. Still these are very good grid positions, especially bearing in mind turn 1, which is tricky here in Oschersleben."

Augusto Farfus (Car Number 10):

"This is a fantastic result. Obviously I'm really happy about this pole position -- which came just a day after my 27th birthday. I like this circuit a lot and feel very comfortable here. In addition, this is a BMW track which suits our car really well. Conditions in the second session were very difficult when the rain came and it got slippery. Still I managed to put a good lap together. With a good start and a clean race we should be able to score a lot of points in the first round tomorrow."

Andy Priaulx (Car Number 11):

"The second qualifying session was a true lottery. I had the chance to go quicker, but then another driver went off and rejoined just in front of me. Still we are in a good position for tomorrow's races. Augusto starts from pole position, and I'm on the inside for the first corner. Therefore we should be able to score a good result at BMW's home event."

-source: bmw motorsport