WTCC

Team Aon Race of Austria qualifying report

Team Aon

Edited: May 22, 2012, 8:03 PM

Copy link

Share on Viber

Add as a preferred source

James Nash, Ford Focus S2000 TC, Team Aon

Hard day in Austria for Team Aon

James Nash, Ford Focus S2000 TC, Team Aon

Photo by: xpb.cc

It was a hard day for Team Aon today in Austria as the team began the sixth round of the FIA World Touring Car Championship at the Salzburgring. Despite rapid development on the Global Ford Focus, James Nash just missed out on a top 12 position in the dying seconds of qualifying while Tom Chilton was involved in an accident causing damage to his car and ending his qualifying run.

Qualifying was met with a slightly delayed start – an accident during the previous on-track action had left the circuit slippery and unsafe, however soon enough the lights went green and the Team Aon men took to the track for the 20 minute qualifying 1 session.

Helping each other out around the track Nash was sixth during the opening laps while Chilton was twelfth. Continuing to take advantage of the slip stream on the long straights the Team Aon drivers were running well before peeling off to the pits for new tyres and a fresh run.

As they returned to the track Nash’s best time held him inside the top ten while Chilton was lying in 16th. However several drivers were able to improve and despite setting a consistent run, Nash and Chilton had fallen to P13 and P17 respectively.

Bad luck for Chilton continued as he locked up his brakes on a flying lap which unfortunately resulted in contact with Luqui Moly’s Franz Engstler taking both men out of the qualifying session. The Brit driver will take a five place grid penalty for race one as a result, which now places him at the back of the field.

Meanwhile Nash’s last lap was looking strong enough to put him within the top 12 and into Qualifying 2, but despite lying 12th in the final minutes, a last minute improvement by a rival relegated Nash to 13th.

Team principal Mike Earle reflected "Once again this weekend has been a tough learning curve for the team and while this experience will help us in the future it's frustrating for the drivers. We are gradually making progress and I'm sure both drivers will be pushing hard to make up places on the first race tomorrow."

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?

Take our 5 minute survey.

- The Motorsport.com Team

Read and post comments

Share Or Save This Story

Copy link

Share on Viber

Previous article Fast Nine and first 24 spots set for Indy 500

Next article Sadler captures the pole at Iowa Speedway

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

View More & Comment

Latest news

Why NASCAR is not penalizing Stenhouse, McDowell for post-race theatrics

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Charlotte II

23 min

Why NASCAR is not penalizing Stenhouse, McDowell for post-race theatrics

Dale Jr. explains why he doesn't use 'Earnhardt' in his signature

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup 1 h

Dale Jr. explains why he doesn't use 'Earnhardt' in his signature

NASCAR to allow brake rotor and pad changes after Phoenix qualifying

NASCAR Cup

NAS NASCAR Cup

Charlotte II

2 h

NASCAR to allow brake rotor and pad changes after Phoenix qualifying

Why Christian Horner banned Mercedes' name as Red Bull built its own F1 engine

Formula 1

F1 Formula 1

Singapore GP

2 h

Why Christian Horner banned Mercedes' name as Red Bull built its own F1 engine

Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.

From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.

You have 2 options:

Become a subscriber.
Disable your adblocker.

Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here

Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page

Manage Alerts