Championship leader Yvan Muller has failed to set a competitive qualifying time for round 17 of the championship, after his Astra Coupe stopped out on track in the early stages of the qualifying session.

Muller had not been behind the wheel of his car before qualifying this weekend, having been forced to miss Friday’s free practice as a result of the ban he was handed after coming to blows with Anthony Reid at Brands Hatch.

Muller had only completed two laps before coming to rest out on track, neither of which was at full speed. His best recorded time is 2:32.124, which places him firmly at the back of the Touring class field for tomorrow’s first race. The Frenchman will effectively head in to the race without having completed a flying lap of the Donington Park National circuit – far from ideal in his bid to claim the championship title!