A1GP news

Jani mistake costs Swiss

Neel Jani believes his team can still look to score at least one victory tomorrow despite a below par qualifying performance at Taupo today.

His A1 Team Switzerland squad currently leads the championship by 19 points, but the 24-year-old will have his work cut out tomorrow to maintain that after qualifying in 11th place for the Sprint race. Although he will start third for the Feature, the championship lead is under threat after his two chief rivals, New Zealand and France, recorded a pole position each and are well placed to score highly.

Jani admitted he came into the first turn too strong on his crucial Sprint race qualifying lap, which cost him several positions. 'I made a huge mistake in Turn 1,' admitted Jani. 'I just lost one second in the first sector. It was basically a mistake from me, I just braked too late. And it cost me everything. I pushed hard and it was just too much.

'Afterwards I just thought that I should have just gone slower and I would have been fourth or fifth on the grid for sure and I would have been happier. But then to still qualify third for the Sprint race I got my head out of the sling.

'In race one it is about damage limitation and doing as well as we can, but we can attack for the Feature race and go for the win. And we have a big chance of that with the length of the race and the pit stops.'

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