The Hindu : Sport / Racing : Motor : Switzerland pips France to take pole

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Nov 20, 2005

Sport

Sport - Racing : Motor

Switzerland pips France to take pole

KUALA LUMPUR : Switzerland's Neel Jani took pole position on Saturday for Sunday's sprint race at the A1 Grand Prix at Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit.

Jani clocked 3 minutes, 48.962 seconds in a rain-drenched qualifying session on the 5.54-km layout to pip championship leader France.

The qualifying times are a total of the drivers' two best laps in four consecutive sessions, and the Swiss driver was almost a second clear of France's Alexandre Premat, who recorded 3:49.868.

Britain, with Robbie Kerr on board, was third fastest with 3:49.972 followed by New Zealand's Matt Halliday in 3:50.569 and the Netherlands' Jos Verstappen in 3:51.036. Jani clocked his best time of 1:54.441 in the first session.

``I thought it was a good time, but I didn't think it would be really special,'' he said. ``I thought I'd be able to shave several more seconds off with some adjustments in the second session, but it turned out not as I expected.''

Jani said he thought he could have done much better if it hadn't rained in the last two qualifying sessions.

France leads the championship with 71 points, followed by Brazil with 52, Switzerland 47, New Zealand 32 and Britain 30.

The results: 1. Switzerland (Neel Jani), 3:48.962 seconds; 2. France (Alexandre Permat); 3. Ireland (Ralph Firman); 4. Britain (Robbie Kerr); 5. New Zealand (Matt Halliday); 6. Netherlands (Jos Verstappen); 7. Malaysia (Alex Yoong); 8. Brazil (Nelson Piquet Jr.); 9. Portugal (Alvaro Parente); 10. Italy (Enrico Toccacelo). — AP

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