Huff Bags Pole Position For Season Opener In Brazil

Rob Huff secured pole position for the first race of the 2011 World Touring Car Championship season at Curitiba in Brazil.

The Briton led a Chevrolet 1-2-3 in Q2, with Yvan Muller second and local star Caca Bueno third.

Q1 had an extra edge to it for the first time, as it saw the introduction of a new reverse grid system for the second race, with the top ten finishers in the first session being reversed to form the grid for the second race. This saw many drivers adopting a risky strategy to try and finish Q1 towards the bottom of the top ten, without being bumped out altogether.

Muller set the fastest time as the field completed their first flying laps. Kristian Poulsen set an impressive time to then knock Muller off top spot. This time was then bettered by Tiago Monteiro, the Portuguese driver's lap time not being bettered for the remainder of the session.

Huff was one to try a tactic of getting the best possible grid position for Race Two. This nearly backfired on him though as he sat in 11^th as the session came to an end. However, he jumped up to fifth with his final run, securing his place in Q2. This wasn't good news for the entire Chevrolet camp though, as it knocked Alain Menu out of the top ten.

Ending the session in tenth was Michel Nykjaer, which looked to have given the Danish SUNRED driver pole position for Race Two. Fredy Barth had been set to join him on the front row after ending up ninth. However, after qualifying Barth was stripped of all his qualifying times in both Q1 and Q2 for twice missing the red light at the weighing bay, as well as cutting a chicane during Q1. This will put the Swiss driver at the back of the grid for both races.

This gave pole position for race two to Menu, with Nykjaer dropping back to second.

Into Q2, where Huff, Muller and Bueno set the immediate pace in their Chevrolets. Rain began to fall as the drivers attempted to improve their times at the end of the ten minute session, meaning Huff's time was not bettered.

Behind the three Chevrolets, Nykjaer followed up his pole for race two by taking fourth for the first race, also the top Independent. Compatriot Poulsen was fifth in the best of the BMWs for Team Engstler, while Gabriele Tarquini was sixth. Monteiro was seventh, while Tom Coronel ended up down in eighth after going out late and getting caught in the rain shower. Barth ended the session ninth, prior to his penalty, with Franz Engstler tenth. The German driver had his fastest time in Q2 deleted for cutting the chicane, but this did not affect his position.

Another man to receive a penalty was Darryl O'Young, who after qualifying in 15^th position was found guilty of having his team work on the car during parc-ferme conditions. This demoted him to 19^th.

Q1 results:

*  – All times disallowed

Q2 results: