Rast and Tandy congratulate each other on the podium - Photo Credit: Porsche AG

Nick Tandy won the penultimate race of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup season, while Rene Rast secured a second straight title in the one-make series by finishing the race in second place.

Kevin Estre started from pole position and held onto the lead at the start ahead of Rast and Tandy. With his priority on points rather than the race win, Rast allowed the quicker Tandy to pass for second.

Tandy, recently crowned Porsche Carrera Cup Deutschland champion, then set off after BBS rookie classification winner Estre. He forced the Frenchman into a mistake, taking the opportunity to move into a lead that he would keep until the end. The victory was the Brit’s first in the Supercup this year. Rast also benefited from an Estre mistake to take second place and move out of touch in the drivers’ standings ahead of the season finale on Sunday.

“My first victory at last,” said Tandy. “I’ve waited for this for the entire year. It’s great that I have now finally achieved this. It was a very interesting race. Kevin was setting a blistering pace, Rene and I took our time watching him and hoped that he’d maybe make a mistake, which he did. Congratulations to Rene on his title win. After my victory today I’m heading into the race on Sunday feeling very confident. ”

Rast said: “I’m simply thrilled and relieved. It’s difficult to describe what it means to have won this championship two times in a row. This year was even tougher than last season because there were more drivers competing who were good to take the title.

“We experienced a poor start to the season, but we fought our way out of this minor setback and found our old form again. This makes our success today even sweeter. In the race I tried to keep out of any trouble. Nick was quicker than me, so I let him pass. After that I just concentrated on reaching the flag safely. But then Kevin made a mistake so I used the chance. Thanks to my team for all they have done to make this victory possible.”

Estre was positive despite not making the most of his pole position. “That was a tough race. To sit in the lead with René and Nick behind you is not exactly easy. I was determined to finish on the podium and I achieved this despite making a few small mistakes. So from this point of view, I’m pleased and I now look forward to tomorrow’s race.”

Rast’s teammate Norbert Siedler finished fourth, moving into second place in the standings as a result. Christian Engelhart was fifth, just ahead of Sean Edwards.

Race result:
1. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, 31:15.317 minutes
2. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 1.549 seconds
3. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 6.232
4. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 6.658
5. Christian Engelhart (D), Konrad Motorsport, + 10.235
6. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 10.382

Drivers’ standings after 10 of 11 races:
1. René Rast (D), 161 points
2. Norbert Siedler (A), 136
3. Kuba Giermaziak (PL),130
4. Nick Tandy (GB), 129
5. Sean Edwards (GB), 126
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 117

Kevin Estre - Photo Credit: Porsche AG

Kevin Estre and Rene Rast have claimed pole position for the final two rounds of the 2011 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Abu Dhabi.

Frenchman Estre, winner of the last round at Monza, posted the fastest time of the qualifying session. He will thus start the penultimate race of the season tomorrow (Saturday) from P1.

“That was a perfect qualifying, a lap without the slightest mistake and that’s not easy on this circuit,” said rookie Estre. “I’ve never driven here before. So, to start from pole is a superb result. Now I hope I can conclude an already successful season in a fitting way.”

Points leader Rast missed out on the fastest time by just 0.033 seconds, and will start the first race on the front row alongside Estre. The German did however manage the best second fastest time of all the drivers though, and will therefore start Sunday’s season finale from pole.

The two bonus points for pole give Rast a 19 point lead over nearest rival Kuba Giermaziak. The Pole could only manage tenth on the grid for Saturday’s race.

“I went well on my first set of tyres, but I messed up with the second set,” said Rast. “I was going for my best time and made an error which cost me a lot of time. Still, with the two extra points for pole position in the second race, my position looks really good. Now I just have to reach the flag well and the title should be in the bag.”

Estre will start Sunday’s race from third, behind Nick Tandy. The Briton, recently crowned Carrera Cup Deutschland champion, will be third on the grid on Saturday.

“I’m happy,” said Tandy. “These two races will certainly be very interesting. Of course I’d love to finish up the season with a victory. In race two, where I start from the first grid row, my chances look good.”

Rast’s Veltins Lechner teammate Norbert Siedler, who is third in the standings, qualified fourth for the first race, ahead of Christian Engelhardt. Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit drivers Jeroen Bleekemolen and Sean Edwards, who are both still in with a mathematical chance of the title, will start from sixth and seventh at the home track of their team sponsor.

Grid line-up race 1
1. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, 2:12.007 minutes
2. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.033 seconds
3. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.065
4. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.401
5. Christian Engelhart (D), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.553
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 0.585

Grid line-up race 2
1. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, 2:12.162 minutes
2. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.083 seconds
3. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 0.351
4. Christian Engelhart (D), Konrad Motorsport, + 0.691
5. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 0.668
6. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.688

Supercup regular Nick Tandy is joining the Porsche Carrera Cup GB

Nick Tandy has announced he will join Motorbase Performance for the final four races of the 2011 Porsche Carrera Cup GB at Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

26 year old Tandy is a regular in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup and the Carrera Cup Germany. The Pavenham-based driver was runner up in the 2010 Supercup and currently lies fifth in the series this year, while also leading the German series. Tandy heads into the final rounds at Hockenheim, which take place a week after the Silverstone GB rounds, with a twelve point lead.
 
Motorbase team boss David Bartrum explained: “With Michael Caine moving to the BTCC, we had a Carrera Cup seat vacant. What better way to fill it than with such a quality driver? He’s absolutely current with the car. We want to show the strength of Motorbase over the last four Carrera Cup GB races.”
 
Tandy, who made his Porsche debut in the VIP car at Silverstone in 2008, added: “I’m looking forward to racing back where I started my Porsche career. It will be really good to race in my home country again. I’ve raced just about every weekend of the season, but only once in the UK so far.”
 
Tandy will test with Motorbase for the first time during the week at Brands Hatch, before joining official testing on Friday ahead of the weekend’s pair of races on the Grand Prix circuit at the Kent venue.

Estre made a fast start to pull alongside front row starters Rast and polesitter and guest driver Alessandro Balzan on the run down to the first chicane. While Estre and Balzan tried to go through the corner side-by-side and ended up cutting across the inside of the chicane, Rast held back. This gave him a much better exit than the two in front of him and allowed him to take the lead.

Estre spent several laps trying to slipstream his way past the German but had to wait until four laps to go before making the move stick into the Parabolica. The Frenchman, racing in his first season in the Supercup, also wrapped up the BBS Rookie Classification.

“That was a tough race,” he said. “I tried to overtake Rene in the first laps but there just wasn’t enough room. So I had to be patient until after the safety car phase. I finally got my chance that I’d waited so long for. This victory and winning the rookie classification already makes the season a triumph for the whole team. I want to thank them here and now for their fantastic support. Now I can’t wait for the final in Abu Dhabi.”

Rast, whose second place strengthened his points lead, said: “The race ran perfectly for us. Second place earned us valuable points – I’m very pleased. After the safety car phase I couldn’t hold the pace. Slipstreaming worked perfectly for Kévin, he literally flew past me and I couldn’t do a thing about it. Things are looking very good for the championship. We now just have to hold our course and bring home a decent result from Abu Dhabi, then it could be ours.”

Balzan completed the podium in third place. “I started from pole position and, to be honest, I had hoped for a better result than third,” he said. “After all, we’re in Italy. Still, I’m happy enough. Don’t forget this is only my third Supercup race and I didn’t want to get in the way of those fighting for the championship. Early on I had some problems with the brake balance, but after a couple of laps I overcame them and was back up at pace. Now I’m hoping I can also race at the final at Abu Dhabi.”

The safety car came out for several laps to allow for repairs to a tyre barrier after title contender Sean Edwards crashed heavily between the two Lesmos. The Briton had been running fourth behind Estre and Balzan but contact with the car of Norbert Siedler behind him speared him off into the barriers.

Siedler finished fourth, ahead of Nick Tandy and Kuba Giermaziak. Giermaziak, who won the previous two rounds in Spa and Budapest, has moved up into second place in the standings behind Rast at Edward’s expense, with Siedler third. The season concludes with a double-header at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina on 12/13 November.

Race result – 14 laps:
1. Kevin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, 29:21.986 minutes
2. Rene Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 1.364 seconds
3. Alessandro Balzan (I), Ebimotors, + 1.811
4. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 2.466
5. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 3.386
6. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), VERVA Racing Team, + 6.694

Drivers’ standings after 9 of 11 races:
1. Rene Rast (D), 141 points
2. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), 124
3. Norbert Siedler (A), 122
4. Sean Edwards (GB), 116
5. Nick Tandy (GB), 109
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 108

A guest driver from the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia, Balzan was just a shade under four tenths clear of nearest rival and points leader Rene Rast. The reigning champion had relegated Kevin Estre to third spot.

“I’m of course very pleased with my pole position,” said Balzan. “This is just my first Supercup race this year and I’m not as familiar with the car and above all the brakes as the other drivers. Still, I already had a good feeling after free practice, mostly because we found a good brake balance.

“During qualifying I didn’t go flat out right from the first lap, but warmed up my tyres gradually and waited for my chance. When I saw I had a free lap I went for it and set the best time with my first set of rubber.”

Rast said: “That was a very difficult qualifying, so I’m very satisfied with my second place. With the first set of tyres I simply didn’t manage a decent time, but then everything came together with the second set. Now I’m hoping for a good race and I’m already looking forward to the finale in Abu Dhabi.”

Estre added: “My third place is a very good starting position for the race, especially here in Monza. We’re happy with this result, most of all because things didn’t go so well for us recently in Spa. I now hope we can do as well in the race, and perhaps I can bring home my first podium result in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup.”

Sean Edwards was fourth quickest, just ahead of Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen. Norbert Siedler was sixth, with Kuba Giermaziak, the winner of the last two races at the Hungaroring and Spa, only seventh. Nicki Thiim was eighth, ahead of a disappointed Nick Tandy with Sebastiaan Bleekemolen rounding out the top ten.

Qualifying result
1. Alessandro Balzan (I), Ebimotors, 1:50.658 minutes
2. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.399 seconds
3. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 0.412
4. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 0.426
5. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 0.469
6. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.586

Giermaziak was beaten off the line by fellow front row starter Patrick Huisman, who just about nosed ahead on the run down to La Source. Giermaziak had the inside line for the tight first turn though, allowing him to hold onto his lead.

He quickly opened up a lead which went up to more than five seconds, but he was hunted down in the closing stages by Rene Rast, who had charged through from fifth on the grid. Giermaziak held onto win, half a second ahead of Rast.

“What a fantastic race,” said Giermaziak. “I had luck on my side though – two more laps and I would very likely have had great difficulty fending off the others. My start wasn’t that great, we really must practice that more, because the distance to the first corner in Monza is even further.

“Still, I managed to hold my lead and possibly pushed a little too hard to put some distance between me and my pursuers. Towards the end my tyres were deteriorating and René was catching me. I hardly dared to look in the rear vision mirror. I tried to take a little heat out of the pace because if you’re going full-tilt you’re more likely to make mistakes. Luckily it was enough to win. Now we’ve shown we are not just good in the rain, but we can also win in dry conditions.”

Rast said: “That was great. To come from fifth and finish second, and then grab the championship lead – you can’t wish for more than that. I’m totally happy, even though it didn’t work with my first win in Spa. My car was ultra-fast over the whole weekend. If the race had been one lap longer I would got past Kuba. Anyway, I’m absolutely over the moon.”

Nick Tandy finished in third place, four seconds behind the winner.

“That wasn’t a bad race,” said the Briton. “We’ve collected some important points. Qualifying was the problem. If I’d been faster there I could have done better in the race.”

Sean Edwards had started alongside Tandy on the second row of the grid, but the championship leader coming into the race made a mistake at Eau Rouge on the opening lap which dropped him back to seventh place. He finished in sixth place, behind Jeroen Bleekemolen and Christian Engelhardt. Huisman fell backwards after contact with Rast.

Race results – 11 laps:

Series veteran Patrick Huisman was set for pole until the young Polish driver moved to the top of the timesheets just before a yellow flag at the end of the session.

“A huge thank you to my team,” said Verva driver Giermaziak. “They sent me out on the track at exactly the right moment. My lap wasn’t particularly great, but luckily good enough for pole. We’ve again shown that we know how it works in rain and so of course I’m hoping for a rainy race tomorrow. But don’t worry, we’ll be quick even in dry conditions. If you start from the first row here in Spa and you avoid any major mistakes, nothing can really go wrong.”

Huisman had to settle for second place, but was still pleased with the result.

“I’m very pleased with second place,” said the Dutchman. “It was a good sign when it began to rain again before the session started because we were already fast on a wet track on Friday. At last I’m back on the front row. This is a great position to start the race.”

Points leader and winner at Spa last year, Sean Edwards, took third on the grid, more than a second behind Giermaziak but just ahead of compatriot Nick Tandy. The latter did well considering he could only manage one quick lap due to radiator problems.

“The yellow flag shortly before the end of the session ruined my chances of claiming pole position,” said Edwards. “That’s a great shame, but not the end of the world. On this track you can win from the second grid row. And that’s exactly what we will try to do.”

The third row of the grid will be shared by reigning champion Rene Rast and two-time champion Jeroen Bleekemolen. Christian Engelhardt and Stefan Rosina were next up, with Sebastiaan Bleekemolen and Kevin Estre rounding out the top ten.

Qualifying results:

The Polish driver had scored his maiden pole at the last round at the Nurburgring, but this time it would be series rookie Kevin Estre’s turn to take his first pole. He kept hold of the lead at the start, but a trip through the gravel in the wet conditions on the first lap allowed championship leader Rene Rast to take the lead.

The German looked like he would take his fifth straight Supercup victory, but the defending champion made several mistakes which dropped him down the field. He would eventually have to retire with technical problems.

Giermaziak inherited the lead from Rast having passed Sean Edwards for second. The 21-year-old pulled away from the rest of the field and crossed the line with a margin of 18 seconds. Edwards fell into the clutches of Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen, and the Dutchman found a way through for second before the finish.

Norbert Siedler finished fourth after coming through from tenth on the grid, ahead of Estre and Robert Lukas. Stefan Rosina and Alessandro Zampedri were seventh and eighth, with Nick Tandy finishing down in ninth after a second lap spin. Abu Dhabi’s Khaled Al Qubaisi finished in tenth.

“I’m absolutely delighted with my first victory in the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup, and my biggest thanks go to my team,” said Giermaziak afterwards. “It’s incredible how hard the boys work to put a perfect car on the track for us at every race. We tested here in Budapest, luckily in rain, and that paid off.

“We knew we’d do very well on the wet circuit, but we hadn’t anticipated that we’d do it with such a huge advantage. Despite the awful weather conditions I didn’t make any mistakes. I’m particularly pleased for the many Polish fans who came so far this weekend to support us. Thank you all very much.”

Rast’s retirement means that third place is enough for Edwards to regain the championship lead, one point ahead of the German.

“Now that was one crazy race,” said the Briton. “I had a lot of fun. The grip wasn’t really great over the distance and I had to fight hard to defend my position. But there was nothing I could do about Jeroen. Still, I’m totally happy. Both cars from Abu Dhabi by tolimit on the podium, the first time this season – that’s a great result. I’m hoping we can continue like this at the next race in Spa. The championship is really exciting now.”

Race results – 14 laps:

Drivers’ classification after 7 of 11 races:

1. Sean Edwards, 106 points
2. Rene Rast, 105
3. Norbert Siedler, 97
4. Kuba Giermaziak, 90
5. Jeroen Bleekemolen, 86
6. Nick Tandy, 79

Two races will be held in support of the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the 12^th and 13^th of November. They will replace the two rounds scheduled for Bahrain in March at the beginning of the season, which were cancelled along with the Formula 1 Grand Prix due to the unrest in the Gulf state.

“Our teams look forward to returning to Abu Dhabi,” said Uwe Brettel, Head of Motorsport Sales at Porsche. “And we can offer our partners and sponsors a real highlight to conclude an exciting and interesting season.”

The Supercup previously visited the United Arab Emirates venue in 2009 for the final races of the season. Rene Rast and Jeroen Bleekemolen picked up the two victories.

Polesitter Kuba Giermaziak retained the lead at the start of the race, with Rast moving up into second place. At Turn 2 Nick Tandy and Kevin Estre spun simultaneously and dropped to the back of the field.

The leading duo soon had a surprise challenger in the form of Sebastiaan Bleekemolen. The Dutchman had started from 12^th on the grid, but chose to begin on wet tyres after a shower shortly before the race. On the slightly wet track he enjoyed superior grip through the opening turns and moved through into the lead of the race midway through the opening lap. However, he would soon lose pace as the track turned to dry and he would eventually finish a lap down.

Veltins Lechner Racing driver Rast took the lead of the race and held on under pressure from Verva Racing Team’s Giermaziak to win by a second and strengthen his championship lead.

“That was a perfect race,” said Rast. “The conditions were unbelievably tough. First it was totally wet, then dry again. When you’re at the front it’s very difficult to predict what’s going to happen. You never know what to expect in the next second. It’s a lot easier for the guys behind me. They can just wait to see what I do. Towards the end I slowed the pace a little to bring my victory home safely. With an eye on the championship, this was a great weekend for us.”

Giermaziak was pleased with second place even though he is still waiting for his maiden win.

“Congratulations to Rene,” he said. “He drove a strong race under the most difficult conditions. As the track dried up I was quicker, in fact I could have won today. At least we had the speed. But Rene is not one to make silly mistakes when he’s under pressure. And I wasn’t prepared to risk anything. So now we just have to keep waiting for our first win, but I’m quite sure it’ll happen this season.”

Sean Edwards came home in third place for Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit.

“I started from seventh on the grid and finished in third – that’s not bad under such tough conditions,” said Edwards. “In the dry we simply didn’t have the speed to attack.”

Norbert Siedler held off the attack of Stefan Rosina to take fourth, the latter having dropped back at the start after starting on the front row alongside his teammate Giermaziak.

Jeroen Bleekemolen finished in sixth, ahead of fellow Dutchman Patrick Huisman. Istanbul winner Christian Engelhardt was eighth, ahead of guest racer Christian Menzel who came through from the back of the grid to finish ninth. The top ten was completed by American William Langhorne.

Rast has extended his championship lead to 15 points, with Edwards now in second place. Seven points further back is Siedler, while Tandy is now fourth, 32 points away from Rast.

Race results – 14 laps:

1. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, 30:00.552 minutes
2. Kuba Giermaziak (PL) VERVA Racing Team, + 1.001 seconds
3. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 5.288
4. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 8.042
5. Stefan Rosina (SK), VERVA Racing Team, + 8.628
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 9.964

Drivers’ standings after 6 of 9 races:

1. René Rast (D), 105 points
2. Sean Edwards (GB), 90
3. Norbert Siedler A), 83
4. Nick Tandy (GB), 72
5. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), 70
6. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), 68

Mueller plays the lead role of police chief Thorsten Lannert in the popular German detective drama series, Tatort, frequently chasing down criminals in a Porsche.

He has always had a love of speed having grown up close to the Hockenheimring but after starting off on motorbikes he moved into the cockpit for fear or damaging himself and in turn ruining his acting career.

Mueller last competed in 2003 and as a guest of Porsche this weekend at the Nurburgring he revealed that the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup is much more professional now and driving on the edge is a lot tougher than when he was at the wheel.

The 55-year-old said: “My last Supercup race was in 2003 in Hockenheim. I finished 17th, which wasn’t at all bad for someone who only drives every couple of years.

“It still appeals to me, even though much has changed over the years. Everything has become so much more professional, the Porsche is now a real race car and it’s not so easy to handle at the limit.

“But then again it wasn’t easy back then to race against the likes of Patrick Huisman. It was a fantastic experience.”

And when quizzed about the possibility of combining his passion of cars with his acting career he was quick to quash any future role as a racing driver.

He added: “I’d be reluctant to do that. It’s always a little embarrassing. Earlier there were good race driver films, for instance with Steve McQueen or Paul Newman, but that’s a long time ago.

“ Afterwards there was only trash. A while ago there was a film with Till Schweiger and Sylvester Stallone, they were driving Formula cars wheel-to-wheel at racing speed, wearing helmets and for the entire time they were yelling at each other. That’s impossible, totally unrealistic rubbish.”

Mueller also revealed he prefers the more driver orientated series such as the GP2 or the Porsche Supercup over Formula One, as he believes the best drivers come to the fore rather than relying on car performance.

He concluded: “I actually find the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup or the GP2 more interesting because the drivers play a much more important role. In Formula 1, they largely depend on the technology.

“Timo Glock is a good example, he’s driving with the back-markers with inferior material. If he had a good car he’d probably be up the front.”

“It couldn’t have been better,” said Giermaziak, who also topped the free practice session on Friday and lies seventh in the standings. “I’m so thrilled with my first pole position.

“But we already noticed in free practice that we had the speed. The entire team prepared everything brilliantly. The Nürburgring is my absolute favourite, in fact I’m always fast here. Achieving pole position is of course a fantastic effort. Now we will try everything to turn it into a fantastic race result.”

Slovakian racer Rosina said: “A huge compliment to my team. With two of us on the first two grid spots, it shows just how well we prepared. The race will certainly not be easy, after all we have a couple of hot-shots breathing hard down our necks. But first we’re going to enjoy this wonderful result and tomorrow we’ll be ready to fight for a top place.”

Defending champion, points leader and winner of the last three races Rene Rast will start the race from third position for Veltins Lechner Racing. Rival Nick Tandy will line up alongside him in fourth place.

Rast’s teammate Norbert Siedler was fifth, one place ahead of Patrick Huisman. The Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit duo of Sean Edwards and Jeroen Bleekemolen will start from the fourth row, and will both look to move forward from there.

Qualifying results:

The Omani racer was one of seven drivers from the Porsche Carrera Cup GB seires to make a guest appearance in the Supercup race and qualified 21^st on the grid in his Oman Air Racing Team run Porsche.

A good start saw the 29 year old gain three places, but a loss of power steering in the opening couple of turns, plus a rise in engine temperature, meant the race was soon over for the Oman Air, Nawras, National Bank of Oman, Brand Oman, Oman Ministry of Sports Affairs and Oman Ministry of Tourism-backed driver.

He nursed the car back to the pits to retire, leaving him disappointed to have such a mechanical failure at his biggest meeting of the year. He remained positive though, happy with his performance during his first outing on the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit.

Al Harthy said: “It’s incredibly disappointing for the weekend to have ended how it did and so early in the race too, but that’s the sport we’re in – these things happen in motor racing and you have to accept it.  improved a lot over the weekend so I’m very positive about that, our pace was good and we knew where to find much more lap time in the race.

“I made a good start, gained three places and held my position well but then I felt the steering go and I knew it was a bad sign. The temperatures then hit the roof so I just coaxed the car back to the pits. It’s the first mechanical failure I’ve had in a very long time so I can’t complain. It’s just a shame for the whole team and the sponsors we weren’t able to come away with the result they deserved.”

It was Sutton and Team SAS/Redline team-mate Michael Meadows who used their previous experience of the race well to finish eleventh and thirteenth respectively in the 26 car field. Sutton challenged former Supercup champion Patrick Huisman and 2011 title contender Sean Edwards for a top ten finish, while Meadows gained four place during a strong race.

Next up from the GB crews were Sam Tordoff and Benji Hetherington, the duo driving excellent races in their first experience of the Supercup. Tordoff drove up from twentiefth to finish fifteenth, with Hetherington one place behind, the duo finished ahead of established Supercup drivers Allesando Zampedri and Mathias Lauda.

Pro-Am1 star Ahmad Al Harthy didn’t enjoy a great race, being sidelined on the opening lap with a mechanical woe, while Pro-Am2 racers Keith Webster and Andrew Shelley came home 23^rd and 24^th.

At the start of the race Rast got away well, but the same could not be said for his Veltins Lechner Racing teammate Norbert Siedler, who started alongside him on the front row. The Austrian driver was slow away, which allowed Kevin Estre to move into second place, with Nick Tandy right behind.

Tandy would soon move into second place and chase after Rast. He closed up on the penultimate lap but ruined his chances by running wide at Abbey at the start of the final lap. This allowed Rast to hold onto win, although the lack of a checkered flag at the end of the 12^th lap did initially cause confusion.

“That was a tough race,” said Rast afterwards. “I got away well at the start and was able to pull away a little, but then Nick got faster and faster.

“In the first lap I flat-spotted both front tyres, and I had to really fight with the car. Luckily I could hold on to my first place to the flag. It was a fantastic weekend for our team.”

Tandy said: “Obviously it would have been great to win my home race. But second place isn’t bad. I caught up to Rene quicker than I thought after the start which just goes to show how great our car set-up was. But I was never in a position to really attack. In the last lap I tried again but went sideways a little off the circuit. And that was that. Now we’ll try our luck on the Nurburgring.”

Siedler recovered from his poor start to complete the podium. “My start was miserable otherwise I could have perhaps put Rene under pressure. But I think I can be very happy with third place in Silverstone.”

Estre slipped to fourth, but that was still the Supercup rookie’s best result in the series. He held onto the position under pressure from Christian Engelhardt and Jeroen Bleekemolen.

Verva Racing Team duo Stefan Rosina and Kuba Giermaziak finished in seventh and eighth, with the latter slipping back from his grid position of fifth.

Patrick Huisman took advantage of a fast start from 12^th on the grid to finish in ninth, resisting pressure from Sean Edwards. The erstwhile points leader could not make any progress from his disappointing starting position of tenth.

James Sutton finished as the best of the guest runners from the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, in 11^th place, two positions ahead of SAS International teammate Michael Meadows. Sam Tordoff and Benji Hetherington finished in 15^th and 16^th.

Keith Webster and Andrew Shelley tangled after the latter spun out of The Loop, eventually finishing in 23^rd and 24^th respectively. The remaining entry from the British series was Ahmad Al Harthy, who retired after completing one lap.

Rast’s victory moves him into the points lead, 11 points ahead of Edwards with Tandy just two behind. The next round takes place in two weeks at the Nurburgring.

Race results – 12 laps:

Drivers’ standings after 5 of 9 races:

1. Rene Rast, 85 points
2. Sean Edwards, 74
3. Nick Tandy, 72
4. Norbert Siedler, 69
5. Jeroen Bleekemolen, 58
6. Christian Engelhart, 53

Veltins Lechner Racing driver Rast arrived at the Silverstone round off the back of wins at the previous rounds at Monaco and the World Cup event at the Nurburgring. He was 0.322 seconds quicker than his nearest rival in qualifying, his late effort relegating teammate Norbert Siedler to second.

“To be on pole in Silverstone is a very special feeling,” said defending champion Rast. “I’m very confident for the race as I only just ran in my second set of tyres over one lap today.

“I hope to be able to make up a few points in the championship and I’m especially pleased about our team effort with Norbert starting beside me.”

Siedler was pleased to make a second consecutive front row lockout for his team. “To have the first row occupied by Veltins Lechner Racing – now that’s perfect,” he said. “Still, I’m not entirely satisfied. With my second set of tyres I wasn’t able to realise everything that was possible today.”

Supercup rookie Kevin Estre qualified a surprise third for Hermes Attempto Racing.

“To stand so far at the front of the grid is great, especially on a famous circuit like Silverstone,” said the Frenchman. “I didn’t get anywhere with my first set of tyres, I was far away from the top. On my second set I immediately put in my fastest lap. Of course, I’m very pleased with my third place.”

Big things were expected of Tandy and Edwards at their home round, but neither could deliver in qualifying at least. Konrad Motorsport driver Tandy did at least get his car onto the second row alongside Estre, which was much better than championship leader Edwards who slumped to tenth place for Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit.

Kuba Giermaziak continued his impressive run of form with fifth place on his 21^st birthday, one place ahead of Edwards’ teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen. Christian Engelhardt, winner of the season opener at Istanbul, was seventh ahead of practice pacesetter Stefan Rosina.

James Sutton, making a guest appearance from the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain, secured ninth on the grid ahead of Edwards. Other runners from the British series were Michael Meadows in 11^th, Benji Hetherington in 17^th, Sam Tordoff in 20^th, Ahmad Al Harthy in 21^st, Keith Webster in 24^th and Andrew Shelley in 26^th and last place.

Qualifying results:

The Supercup is seen by many of the top drivers in the GB series as the next logical step in their careers, meaning some have entered the Silverstone race in the past to get their first taste of the Supercup competition in front of a huge home crowd.

2009 saw James Sutton take a superb podium finish in third, with Tim Harvey finishing eighth, while 2010’s Scholarship winners Michael Meadows and Euan Hankey took part in last years race, finishing fourteenth and seventeenth respectively. 

The seven drivers entering this season are:

James Sutton (SAS/Redline): “To get back into the Supercup is great. This will be the fourth time in six years that I’ve done the Silverstone race and in 2009 I finished third. The Supercup is where I want to get to, and always has been.”
 
Michael Meadows (SAS/Redline): “I did the 2010 Supercup race as part of the Carrera Cup Scholarship, so this year I’ll be more prepared for it. You’ve got to go there believing you can be competitive. The desire is to be in the Supercup fulltime in 2012.”
 
Sam Tordoff (Team Parker Racing): “I watched the 2010 Supercup race at Silverstone from the pit wall and it was then I made up my mind to switch to the Carrera Cup. It will be a fantastic experience to race with the biggest guys in Porsche racing, but we’re under no pressure.”
 
Ben Hetherington (Oman Air/Redline): “It’s another big challenge coming straight after the World Cup race at the Nurburgring. It will be a very big learning curve, and I’m certainly looking towards the future with the Supercup.”
 
Ahmad Al Harthy (Oman Air/Redline):  “It will be amazing for me and I just want to keep on learning. It is another level on from anything we’ve done before and the Supercup is on our agenda for the future.”
 
Keith Webster (Redline Racing): “That race has to be one of the pinnacles of an amateur career. I love Silverstone and what an atmosphere there will be. These are some of the best drivers in the world and it will be a fantastic experience.”

The final driver to take part will be Redline Racing‘s Andrew Shelley.

The defending Porsche Supercup champion passed his polesitting Veltins Lechner Racing teammate Norbert Siedler on the opening lap and kept the lead until the finish of the six lap race.

“It’s an indescribable feeling to have won the greatest Porsche race of all time,” said Rast. “After the start I managed to overtake Norbert in the first lap and then tried to control the race. The key to success today was that I made not one mistake.

“Conditions were tough out there in the rain, particularly because I’ve never driven the Porsche on the Nordschleife in the wet. It was difficult to evaluate the grip level hence I was a little cautious at the start.”

Despite Rast building a reasonable advantage over the opening laps, Siedler closed right up to him on the fourth lap as they tried to lap slower traffic. However, he would have to settle for second. In the end he was luckly to keep hold of second place after running wide at one turn on the penultimate lap and nearly hitting the barrier.

The Supercup standings leader coming into the race, Nick Tandy attempted to pass Siedler for second during the second lap. However, in the tricky conditions he braked too late and slid into the barrier and out of the race. Kuba Giermaziak and Patrick Huisman came together right behind and also found the gravel, but both were able to continue on their way.

Tandy’s off promoted compatriot Sean Edwards into third place. Lance David Arnold made an amazing move to take the place from Edwards at the end of the third lap, dipping a wheel onto the wet grass at high speed as he squeezed past. Edwards would then lose fourth to Nicki Thiim at Turn 1 on the next lap, only for the Dane to then run into Arnold, causing enough damage to see him retire to the pits at the end of the GP loop on that lap.

Arnold closed right up to Rast and Siedler at the end of the race to score an unlikely podium. Edwards finished in fourth, taking the lead in both the Supercup and Carrera Cup Deutschland standings as a result. Nicolas Armindo finished fifth to win the Carrera Cup Deutschland race, just ahead of Hermes Attempto Racing teammate Kevin Estre, who was top Carrera Cup France runner.

Jeroen Bleekemoelen finished seventh, with Martin Ragginger, Huisman and Stefan Rosina rounding out the top ten. Alessandro Balzan finished as the top Carrera Cup Italia runner in 12^th overall – one place ahead of Tim Harvey, who bowed out of the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain by winning the category. Johan Kristofferson was the top Scandinavian entry in 25th overall.

1. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, 1:00:48.621 hours
2. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 1.9 seconds
3. Lance David Arnold (D), Motopark Oschersleben, + 3.6
4. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 18.0
5. Nicolas Armindo (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 29.8
6. Kévin Estre (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 33.4
7. Jeroen Bleekemolen (NL), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 37.0
8. Martin Ragginger (A), Schnabl Engineering, + 39.6
9. Patrick Huisman (NL), Team Bleekemolen, + 42.1
10. Stefan Rosina (SK), VERVA Racing Team, + 1:10.8 minutes

Rast had top spot for much of the qualifying session, with Supercup standings leader Nick Tandy in second place for Konrad Motorsport. However, Siedler then put in his perfect lap near the end of the session to steal pole.

Pole Kuba Giermaziak continued his strong recent form of late by qualifying in third for the Verva Racing Team, relegating Tandy to fourth.

Carrera Cup Deutschland driver Nicki Thiim qualified in fifth, fresh from his win at Lausitz, with Christian Engelhardt, winner of the opening Supercup round of the season in Turkey, sixth.

Sean Edwards qualified seventh for Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, with Germany’s Lance David Arnold a strong eighth. Rounding out the top ten was Uwe Alzen and reigning Carrera Cup Deutschland champion Nicolas Armindo.

James Sutton was the best of the Carrera Cup Great Britain runners, qualifying in 17^th place.

1. Norbert Siedler (A), VELTINS Lechner Racing, 8:35.809 minutes
2. René Rast (D), VELTINS Lechner Racing, + 0.403 seconds
3. Kuba Giermaziak (PL), VERVA Racing Team, + 0.663
4. Nick Tandy (GB), Konrad Motorsport, + 3.002
5. Nicki Thiim (DK), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 3.834
6. Christian Engelhart (D), Konrad Motorsport, + 4.756
7. Sean Edwards (GB), Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit, + 5.366
8. Lance David Arnold (D), Motopark Oschersleben, + 5.945
9. Uwe Alzen (D), PZ Aschaffenburg Uwe Alzen Automotive, + 6.397
10. Nicolas Armindo (F), Hermes Attempto Racing, + 6.893

The win ignited Rast’s title defence after a slow start that saw the Veltins Lechner Racing driver finish off the podium in the opening races of the season at Istanbul and Barcelona.

Starting from pole position, Rast eased away from Konrad Motorsport driver Nick Tandy to win by four seconds over the Briton. His victory propels him to third in the standings.

“What a great race,” said Rast afterwards. “The boys in my team put a fabulous car on the track for me today. Thanks guys. I was able to pull away in the first laps and drove consistently fast times right to the flag. It feels really good to climb to the top of the podium again. We can keep doing this. Now we’ll continue the hard work and I’m already looking forward to the race on the Nurburgring-Nordschleife.”

Tandy’s second place was his third from as many races in 2011, a result that gave him the championship lead.

“Second place and leader of the championship – not bad,” said Tandy. “As far as I’m concerned I can be second at every race as long as I can take home the title at the end. This is the first time I’ve led the series. Rene drove a great race, unbelievably precise, just millimetres away from the crash barriers. It was impressive. We were both faster than the rest today and that makes me optimistic.”

Barcelona race winner and Monaco resident Sean Edwards finished in third place for Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit. The podium result was not enough for the Briton to keep his standings lead though – he drops to second place, two points behind Tandy.

“A good start is decisive in Monaco,” said Edwards. “I got away well, but then I shifted to second gear too early and lost contact with the others. Still, third in Monaco is a great result. Rene was much quicker than all of us. I could match Nick’s times but he was too far ahead for me to have any real chance at second place.”

Edwards’ teammate Jeroen Bleekemolen finished a quiet fourth. Kuba Giermaziak started third on the grid for the Verva Racing Team but struggled for traction at the apex of Ste Devote on the opening lap and slipped to fifth behind the Abu Dhabi pairing. The Pole was then pursued by Sebastiaan Bleekemolen and Norbert Siedler for the duration of the race but their positions remained the same until the finish.

Alessandro Zampedri finished eighth to score his first top ten result of the season, with Robert Lukas and the returning Matthew Halliday rounding out the top ten.

A tussle between Kevin Estre and Stefan Rosina going up the hill out of Ste Devote at the start of the second lap would put both out of the race with damage.

Round four of the Supercup season takes place on 25^th June as part of the Porsche Carrera World Cup at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife.

“It’s a great feeling to be back on pole,” said Rast. “The qualifying session was exciting, which is par for the course in Monaco. We had a lot of traffic on the track. I was much faster with my second set of tyres than with the first and I’m feeling very optimistic about my chances in the race. To start from pole in Monaco has a greater advantage than on any other track on the calendar.”

Nick Tandy qualified second for Konrad Motorsport, 0.313 seconds behind Rast.

“It’s very important to start from the first row in Monaco, so I’m very pleased with my qualifying result,” said Tandy. “We only narrowly missed out on pole. I was very quick in a couple of laps, especially in the first two sectors, but you’re lucky if you escape the traffic here without a hitch. It’s a shame we weren’t fast enough for pole today.”

Third was Kuba Giermaziak, the Polish Verva Racing Team driver showing his Barcelona pace was no flash in the pan by repeating his qualifying result from one week ago.

“That was a very good qualifying,” declared Giermaziak afterwards. “I didn’t actually think we’d do so well on such a difficult track. Like in Barcelona, we showed that we’re fast during free practice, but still we were a little surprised with third place. We’re heading into the race feeling confident. If I can also score third in the race we’ll all be very happy.”

Points leader and Barcelona race winner Sean Edwards will line up fourth on the grid, one place ahead of his Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit teammate and fellow Monte Carlo resident Jeroen Bleekemolen. The double Supercup champion’s brother Sebastiaan Bleekemolen qualified sixth for his Team Bleekemolen outfit.

Stefan Rosina was seventh for Verva, with Kevin Estre eighth for Hermes Attempto Racing. Rounding out the top ten places were Norbert Siedler and Patrick Huisman of Lechner and Bleekemolen respectively.

Behind him Kuba Giermaziak (Verva Racing Team) made a strong start to move into second place from third on the grid, passing Konrad Motorsport driver Nick Tandy. Tandy would slip to fourth behind Supercup rookie Kevin Estre of Hermes Attempto Racing. However, Tandy would soon take the position back from the Frenchman before taking second back from Giermaziak.

The result moved British drivers Edwards and Tandy to the joint lead of the drivers’ standings after two races. Edwards will hope for another strong result next weekend at Monaco as a resident of the principality.

“A fabulous race,” said Edwards after winning. “My start was great and I was able to build up a comfortable lead in the first laps. Now I’m looking forward to my home race in Monaco and hope we can do as well there too.”

Tandy was pleased for his compatriot as well as his result. “Congratulations to Sean on his first win this season. And thank you to my team. We matched the pace of the front-runners and I’m thrilled about that. Last year we didn’t do so well on this track, this time we were right up there. This makes me very optimistic for the rest of the season.”

Giermaziak’s podium result was his first in the series. “What a great race,” said the Pole. “My start was good and I kept up with Sean in the first laps. But then it got tricky when Nick attacked from behind. I tried to hold him off but I didn’t want to risk too much. We were determined to bring home a podium result. Even if I had ten Supercup wins under my belt, I still would have found it hard to relinquish my position.”

Estre finished fourth, ahead of Jeroen Bleekemolen, Stefan Rosina, Rene Rast and Norbert Siedler. Istanbul winner Christian Engelhardt could only manage ninth place and lost his points lead as a result, while Patrick Huisman rounded out the top ten.

Edwards, driving for the Team Abu Dhabi by tolimit squad, posted a quickest time just 0.072 seconds quicker than Konrad Motorsport driver Tandy.

“That was a great qualifying,” said Edwards. “I got a perfect lap in and that was enough for pole. Now I hope to turn it into a win tomorrow. I managed it last year, but I was handed a penalty and victory was gone. Now that I’m at the front, I jolly well want to stay there.”

Tandy said: “If it wasn’t for my bumble in my second attempt at pole I would have done better. But still I’m satisfied. It looks like the championship is still wide open this season. I’ve saved a fresh set of tyres for the race. Sean shouldn’t expect an easy ride, not for one minute – that I can promise.”

There were a couple of surprise names that got themselves onto the second row for Sunday’s race. Pole Kuba Giermaziak, who is combining his Supercup programme this year with a season in the Formula 3 Euro Series, took third for the Verva Racing Team.

“Today we had the potential to yield an even better result, but we’re still happy,” said Giermaziak. “Now we’ll try to bring home a podium result. I’ve heard that no one from Poland has achieved this yet in the Supercup. It’d be wonderful if I were the first to do it. But it won’t be easy, my rivals are simply too good. After this great qualifying we’re feeling very optimistic.”

Fourth was Kevin Estre of Hermes Attempto Racing. The Frenchman made a strong Supercup debut last time out in Istanbul. The third row of the grid sees two-time champion Jeroen Bleekemolen (Abu Dhabi by tolimit) line up alongside the reigning champion Rene Rast of Veltins Lechner Racing.

Rast’s teammate Norbert Siedler qualified seventh but will be forced to take a three-place grid penalty for ignoring a yellow flag in practice. This moved Istanbul winner Christian Engelhardt (Konrad) up to seventh on the grid, with Verva’s Stefan Rosina eighth and Hermes Attempto driver Robert Lukas ninth.

“We’re proud of the successful liaison with Formula 1,” said Wolfgang Dürheimer. “The Porsche Mobil1 Supercup has developed superbly on this premium platform and has produced many world class drivers who today enjoy great success particularly in long distance racing.”

The Mobil 1 Supercup is the flagship of Porsche’s 19 racing series and attracts some of the best sportscar talent to its ranks. It has run alongside F1 – the only GT series to do so – since 1993.

“The Porsche Mobil1 Supercup is an important element of the Formula 1 race weekends, and always provides spectators with gripping motorsport at a very high level,” said Patrick McNally, CEO of Allsport Management SA.

The Konrad Motorsports driver led home his fellow Briton Sean Edwards and championship rival Rene Rast to close to within 10 points at the top of the points race.

“That was fantastic. It’s such a great feeling to be up the front again,” said Tandy. “We’d hoped to win in Hockenheim and were extremely disappointed after our retirement. And now, one week later, to grab pole and win is just what we wanted. We’ve taken home a load of points today, and with two races to go anything can happen. I’ve already secured the Rookie of the Year title, but to be honest it’s not enough.”

“Let’s call it damage control today,” Rast explained. “I couldn’t do anything more. I see this as a positive. After all, with third I earned some precious points towards the championship. And that’s what’s important. Don’t risk too much and still collect points at each race – that’s how you win championships. If I risk too much it could easily backfire.”

The third man who entered the Hungarian round with a chance at taking the title – Stefan Rosina – was one of many drivers taken out in a flurry of opening lap incidents that began a five lap safety car period.

The Slovakian span into the gravel trap at turn three together with Norbert Siedler, ending his realistic chance of lifting the title – a chance only reignited by Tandy and Rast’s DNFs at Hockenheim the week before.

One corner later four more cars were taken out including Rosina’s Lechner Racing teammate Alessandro Zampedri and SANITEC / GILTRAP Racing pair William Langhorne and Matt Halliday – American Langhorne crashing head-on into a tyre bundle the impact paving in the windscreen of the Porsche.

Tandy made a good restart once the carnage was cleared and pulled out to just over two second lead by the end of the race over Edwards, Rast a further two seconds behind.

Reigning champions Jeroen Bleekemolen finished fourth and Jaap van Lagen fifth.

Porsche veterans Patrick Huisman, Jan Seyffarth and Sascha Maassen beat Supercup newcomer, and another Briton in the points, Tim Bridgman who scored the final point for Schnabl Engineering Team Parker Racing.

“At the head of the grid – now that’s the place I like to be to start a race,” smiled Tandy. “Obviously I’m very pleased, not least because we are now consistently fast: In Silverstone we took pole, in Hockenheim the fastest time would have been possible and now we’re right up the front again here. So it looks really good. We were considerably faster in the second session than the first, and that’s how it should be. René is only on third, and that’s a chance I won’t waste.”

A week after the title rivals come into contact at Hockenheim Al Faisal Lechner Racing driver Rene Rast set a best time 0.134 seconds behind Tandy’s.

“I’m not too worried,” said the German. “I would have been happy to take the two extra points for pole position but it didn’t work out. I’d rather have a guy like Tandy in front of me than behind me in the race.”

“I’m going for the title, so I’ll be trying my hardest to bring home a good result and earn as many points as possible. If I can keep this up for the last two races, nothing can really go wrong.”

The championship leading pair sandwiched Sean Edwards, in one of his best performances of the season so far, received in modest fashion; “At last I’m where I belong,” he said. “I’m very pleased, our team has really worked well. Now we just have to turn all this into a good race result. Nick needs the points so he’ll be up for the risk. But let’s see, maybe I can outdrag him at the start, then anything is possible.”

The top four were completed by Jeroen Bleekemolen, returning to Supercup competition after missing the last races for racing commitments in the American Le Mans Series.

Team Bleekemolen Harders Plaza driver Jaap van Lagen will start fifth, ahead for VELTINS MRS teammates Norbert Siedler and Jan Seyffarth annexed the third row of the grid. Patrick Huisman, Kuba Giermaziak and Stefan Rosina completed the top ten qualifiers, the Slovakian’s tenth place denting his slender title hopes, coming into the round third behinf Rast and Tandy.

Local hero guest driver Csaba Walter (who can normally be found in the FIA GT3 series this year) put in a surprising performance, ending qualifying a commendable twelfth fastest, his time seven-tenths behind Tandy’s benchmark.

At the end of the race the Al Faisal Lechner Racing driver was 2.2 seconds clear of the Veltins backed Porsche of Jan Seyffarth, with German Christian Engelhart in third, taking his best ever finish in the one-make series. Seyffarth had been third after the early exchanges, but took second from Engelhart in a textbook Hockenheim overtaking move at the hairpin on the far side of the track.

“Finally it worked again,” said Seyffarth. “Our home race was the perfect place for my comeback to the podium. Obviously there was some luck involved, but that’s how it goes. Towards the end I let off the pace slightly because I noticed that I had no chance to catch Nicholas. I’ve made up some ground in the championship and hope things continue like this.”

The race turned on events on the first lap when title contenders Nick Tandy and Rene Rast tried to run three abreast into turn two on the outside of Engelhart. With contact Engelhart made it around the tight right hander – though he initially feared his car too had been damaged – but both Tandy and Rast ran wide, bumping each other as they re-joined the track, haemorrhaging places – Rast dropping outside the top ten while a slow Tandy could only struggle back to the pits.

Rast, the championship leader attempted to mount a fight back, making progress into the lower reaches of the top ten before he ran wide in the Parabolica, running out of kerb Rast’s car was launched briefly airborne causing the flat tyre, doubtless with other damage, that ended his race early.

Pointless weekends for both the title front runners presented a golden opportunity to Lechner Racing’s Stefan Rosina to re-include himself in the title fight. The Slovakian finished just off the podium in fourth seeing him move to third in the championship chase, just a point behind Tandy, who lies 16 adrift of Rast.

Former WTCC driver Jaap van Lagen finished fifth ahead of Norbert Siedler and Martin Ragginger – another man making his Supercup debut, despite being junior driver in Porsche’s works stable – in seventh. Sebastiaan Bleekemolen, Matt Halliday and veteran Patrick Huisman completed the points paying positions.

Armindo, driving for Al Faisal Lechner Racing on his Supercup bow put his 911 GT3 Cup fastest of all, with a lap time of 1:42.516 which put him 0.092 seconds ahead of championship chaser Nick Tandy in his own Konrad Motorsport entry.

“What a great way to start. My first Supercup outing this season and pole position – it doesn’t get better than that,” exclaimed Armindo. “Thanks to my team! We found several things in free practice to improve on overnight. This qualifying was somewhat nerve-wracking. We’re all extremely close. You can bet the race will be exciting.”

The Briton’s title rival – the man who currently leads the championship after frequently dominating this season – Rene Rast will have to start the race from fourth on the grid, his best lap of 1.42.697 only one-thousandths of a second slower than German Christian Engelhart, another to put on a surprise performance on familiar tarmac, claiming his best ever Porsche Supercup start in the process.

“I’m very pleased – especially because my fastest lap was anything but brilliant,” Tandy said. “Normally, I should have been on pole. But the positive aspect is that I still have a fresh set of tyres for the race and with tomorrow forecast to be dry, this will certainly be to my advantage.”

“Obviously I want to win the race, but more importantly, I’d like to take a few points off René Rast for the title. He’s starting from fourth, but I’m sure he’ll do his best to get ahead as quickly as possible. The fans can look forward to an interesting race.”

Regulars Jan Seyffarth and Jeroen Bleekemolen will start sixth and seventh.

Amongst the familiar names in the series the race on Porsche’s home soil saw several established drivers behind the wheel of guest cars.

Pole-sitter Armindo aside it was another German Carrera Cup driver – and Porsche junior works driver – Martin Ragginger who claimed the next best starting slot of the guests, driving his Schnabl Engineering Team Parker Racing to tenth place in qualifying.

Further back one time DTM racer Mathias Lauda – son of Niki – will start Sunday’s race from 17th, though his best time in the car entered by Porsche AG was scarcely seven-tenths slower than Armindo.

“Not even seven-tenths of a second from the quickest – that’s not too bad for my first qualifying with the 911 GT3 Cup,” he concluded. “But that it was only good enough for 17th just shows how competitive the Porsche Mobil1 Supercup is. I’m looking forward to the race and hope to make up some positions over the distance – it won’t be easy against the Supercup specialists.”

The Al Faisal Lechner Racing driver led every lap on the Valencia track around the city’s America’s Cup harbour, leading by seven seconds as he collected the checkered flag.

“Another perfect weekend. We had an extremely quiet race. I got away very well at the start and took some heat out of the pace to look after the tyres,” he said after the race which saw his championship lead extend to 14 points as the season reached the halfway point.

“I reckon that was the key to success today. Actually, I was never driving at the limit and still had plenty of reserve in case I needed to push. During the last weeks we’ve managed to take a huge step forward. I’d like to thank my team for this. It’s still too early to say the title is ours, but we’re holding a comfortable lead.”

Behind the dominant German Norbert Siedler finished second and reigning series champion Jeroen Bleekemolen rounded out the podium, the Dutchman moving into second in the championship ahead of Nick Tandy, who struggled all weekend and could only make his way to eighth place from tenth on the grid, though he was the only man to make up two places during a race on a track where passing opportunities are notoriously hard to come by.

Jaap van Lagen finished fourth ahead of Sean Edwards, the best Briton in the race recording his best result of the season despite dropping a spot from the grid.

Stefan Rosina’s sixth place in the race was good enough to defend his fourth place in the overall standings, actually gaining ground on Tandy.

Supercup legend Patrick Huisman finished seventh. Sascha Maassen and Sebastiaan Bleekemolen completed the top ten.

The pair will be entered in the race by Porsche Cars GB, the chance to race at their home grand prix weekend an additional prize after the Schlarship prize of a £50,000 contribution to their budgets for this season Porsche Carrera Cup GB.

The Supercup already uses the latest spec car, which will be introduced to the British series for next year. Other national Porsche series already use the new car, 2007 Carrera Cup champion James Sutton travelled to Pembrey, passing on his experience of the car from races in Carrera Cup Italy

“It feels quite different,” said Meadows after his first run at Pembrey. “It is stiffer and the brakes and change of direction are very good. It is so nice in the high-speed corners and that will suit Silverstone very well. Driving the car for the first time today has really made me enthusiastic about the Supercup race.”

“Absolutely fantastic,” said Hankey in summary. “The car is phenomenal; it is so responsive, it’s faster and it sounds wonderful. The brakes are amazing and it really is fun to drive; it feels even more like a racing car that the current car. Everything from the throttle is more responsive and you can feel the greater downforce in the fast corner.”

“Everything has moved on another notch and it is wonderful!”

The Mobil 1 Supercup race on the new look Silverstone will be part of the British Grand Prix support package on July 10-11.