June 13, 2008
Published on tags: Superleague
Australia's Scott Whiteman came back after a two-race absence to claim Pole Position during qualifying for the Canadian Grand Prix. The Nordsjoen driver, who previously won the Malaysian GP, made good use of the power his Mercedes engine delivers on the long straights of the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, and had no problems driving a clean lap to clinch the best starting spot. Second place was clinched by Platform Michelangelo's Jeroen Jansen, who incidentally was helped by a hugely powerful BMW plant, confirming this track's requirements for a beast under the hood.

Further down the field, third and fifth positions are occupied by the only two Renault-equipped cars in qualifying, Laurentiu Albu's Belami and Mark Wicks's Woods. For Wicks, who currently leads the World Championship, this has been a troubled session, with the steering system of his car forcing him to complete a lap well below his talent's capabilities. Surely, a few tweaks and improvements to his car will see him running in the places where he belongs come race day. Sandwiched between Albu and Wicks is William Ponissi, who scores a career-best 4th place.

The last driver to qualify was Michelangelo Manrique, on 6th. Manrique looked very heavy on his lap, which might mean a different strategy is on the cards for him. With the advantage of a BMW engine and maybe fewer stops, he could still aim for a high-scoring position. He'll need to watch his back, however, from the return of Mal McKee and Martijn Vosselman, who are both starting from the pitlane.