Auto Trader BTCC: Honda's Tarquuini rules at Brands Hatch
26 August 2000
Italian ace Gabriele Tarquini was quickest in testing at Brands Hatch today, ahead of Monday's rounds 19 and 20 of the Auto Trader British Touring Car Championship. The Honda Accord driver just pipped Vauxhall's Jason Plato to the top time by 13 hundredths of a second. Tarquini spent much of the three-hour session concentrating on setting-up his Accord for the races, but then in the dying minutes went for a fast time on the 1.2-mile Indy circuit. He took the number one position despite carrying 40kg of success ballast following his victory at Donington Park in round 18. He said: "I went out at the end of the session on softer tyres and that worked well. Having the extra weight is not too bad here but I think when everyone is trying for a fast time in tomorrow's qualifying it might be different. "At the moment I'm just looking at this race by race. If there was only one car ahead of me in the championship I would be looking at that, but there are five and I think for that reason the championship for me has gone. Now I just play one race at a time." Championship leader Anthony Reid could only manage sixth fastest time but was ahead of his two Ford Mondeo team-mates - Alain Menu and Rickard Rydell, second and third in the title chase - despite also carrying 40kg of ballast because of his round 17 win. Michelin Cup for Independents champion Matt Neal was quickest Independent runner, in fourth, in his Team Dynamics Nissan Primera, while Class B's pace-setter was James Kaye, in his Barwell Motorsport Honda Accord, who was 11th fastest. TOP TEN TESTING TIMES FROM BRANDS HATCH (Indy Circuit) 1 Gabriele Tarquini (Ita) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 46.724s 2 Jason Plato (GB) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 46.737s 3 Tom Kristensen (Den) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 46.748s 4 Matt Neal (GB)* Team Dynamics Nissan Primera GT 46.777s 5 Yvan Muller (Fra) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 46.900s 6 Anthony Reid (GB) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 46.926s 7 Rickard Rydell (Swe) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 46.984s 8 Alain Menu (Swi) Ford Team Mondeo Ford Mondeo Zetec 47.146s 8 Vincent Radermecker (Bel) Vauxhall Motorsport Vauxhall Vectra 47.242s 10 James Thompson (GB) Redstone Team Honda Honda Accord 47.376s * = Michelin Cup for Independents