Team Aon and Tom Chilton especially will be reflecting on yesterday’s qualifying session thinking what could have been after a technical infringement meant that his lap times would be scrubbed and have him start all over again.

Before the technical check, which adjudged Chilton to have failed the ride height check, he was at the sharp end of the grid battling for the pole position but in the end had to settle for 7th on the grid for the opening round of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

“When I set the second fastest time, I knew there was more to come,” said Chilton. “It was maybe just a fraction but that is all I would have needed to get pole. My time was scrubbed and I had to do it all over again but the alterations to the car had changed the handling and I hit traffic too on my one and only shot.”

Chilton’s teammate, Andy Neate was a further three places back as he starts his 2010 campaign with a top ten qualifying position and was pleased with his run despite feeling that he could have got more out of the car.

“In the last run I think I overdrove the car, but overall I am pleased that I have improved the qualifying time I managed last season.”

Neate went on to say, “Realistically I should have been in the top six and I think there’s another half a second per lap when the tyres warm up properly. On the whole, I’m pretty encouraged by today’s pace.”

Photo Credit: Pete Mainey (www.psmmotorsportimages.co.uk)

James Mappin is the editor-in-chief covering the British Touring Car Championship. You can contact him at james@btcccrazy.co.uk, on twitter @BTCCCrazy or on his personal twitter account @jamesmappin.