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Team Australia driver Will Power has qualified on the provisional front row of the grid in opening qualifying for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Houston in Texas today.
Power topped opening practice around the Reliant Park street circuit before finishing qualifying in second behind three-time Champ Car champion Sebastien Bourdais.
Power had his best lap of 58.87 seconds disallowed for inadvertently hampering Justin Wilson while the RSports driver was on a fast lap. It did little to shape the results, with Power’s next best lap in the #5 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia DP01 a 58.89-second time.
Team Australia driver Simon Pagenaud was eighth fastest in qualifying today. The Frenchman is looking for his third successive top five starting position this weekend in the #15 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia DP01.
Pagenaud was second fastest in practice earlier this morning. Both Power and Pagenaud will seek improved handling and balance from their cars for tomorrow’s final qualifying session, after struggling to find a set-up balance to their liking on the street circuit today.
WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY …
Will Power – #5 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia DP01
“We had the same problem that Sebastien (Bourdais) had at Long Beach, ” said Power.
“You’re back in the pits, there’s a red flag just before the end and everyone rushes out when the track is at its best.
“It’s really hard to get a lap or a rhythm because everyone backs each other up. I think that sort of hindered us a bit.
“It’s only day one. I think that we can go back, have a good look at everything and come out with a pretty good car tomorrow and have a shot at the pole. ”
Simon Pagenaud – #15 Aussie Vineyards Team Australia DP01
“At the beginning of the session the car was quite edgy on entry so I was not very confident, ” said Pagenaud.
“Then it went away and the car was much better and when we put the black tyres on we unfortunately didn’t go in the right direction, but that can happen.
“We will go back and look at the data tonight and try to improve that for tomorrow and try to get the pole. ”
