Muller takes debut pole for Chevrolet

Date published : 06 Mar 2010 - 19:46:05

Yvan Muller will start his first race for Chevrolet from pole position after snatching the top spot in the final seconds of qualifying at Curitiba on Saturday.The former world champion was leading after the first round of quick laps in Q2, but the result came down to the last run of the session with nine of the 10 cars on track at once. Muller had to improve with his effort to fight off Jordi Gene who briefly went quickest."I am pleased, it's always good to start the season with a pole position and it's always good to start new relationship with a new team with pole, so of course I am really pleased," Muller said."I am also pleased for the team because we can see the work we did through winter with first, third and fourth on grid - it means we have worked well. I am still a little bit driving in style of the diesel, so I can progress a little bit more on that still."Chevrolet team-mates Alain Menu and Rob Huff were second and third heading onto that final lap and neither improved, but they retained third and fourth places.Reigning world champion Gabriele Tarquini improved with his final effort to jump the BMWs of Andy Priaulx and Augusto Farfus for fifth. Michel Nykjaer will start eighth, with Tom Coronel ninth ahead of Norbert Michelisz who lost his opportunity to improve when he flew off the road in his SEAT on the last lap.Tiago Monteiro was the high-profile casualty of Q1, shoved out of the top 10 by team-mate Coronel with five seconds remaining on the clock - and on a lap that he'd given the Dutchman a tow. Coronel returned the favour for the final lap but Monteiro was unable to improve.Chevrolet had swept the board at the end of Q1 with Huff knocking two tenths off his time to hold onto the top spot, while team-mate Menu and Muller broke into the 1m23s to take second and third.Full report and results to follow