Adam Carroll initially took control of Sprint race qualifying, posting a time of 1 minute 14.507 round the 2.06-mile circuit. The Netherlands’ Robert Doornbos will start alongside Carroll on the front row with Portugal’s Filipe Albuquerque in third.

Amazingly, the top three also qualified in the same positions in Feature race qualfying, with Carroll going even quicker to post a 1m 14.411-second lap, the fastest time an A1GP car has ever lapped Taupo Motorsports Park.

Local favourite, New Zealand’s Chris van der Drift, will start the two races from sixth and tenth.

Sprint Race Qualifying Results - A1GP Taupo, New Zealand
Pos A1 Team  Driver  Time S1  Time S2  Time  Gap First
1 IRELAND  Adam CARROLL 01:15.197 01:14.507 01:14.507  -
2 NETHERLANDS  Robert DOORNBOS 01:15.981 01:14.772 01:14.772 0.265
3 PORTUGAL  Filipe ALBUQUERQUE 01:15.804 01:14.788 01:14.788 0.281
4 SWITZERLAND  Neel JANI 01:15.202 01:15.216 01:15.202 0.695
5 FRANCE  Loic DUVAL 01:15.471 01:15.360 01:15.360 0.853
6 NEW ZEALAND  Chris VAN DER DRIFT 01:17.141 01:15.457 01:15.457 0.950
7 AUSTRALIA  John MARTIN 01:16.388 01:15.504 01:15.504 0.997
8 ITALY  Edoardo PISCOPO 01:16.693 01:15.614 01:15.614 1.107
9 MALAYSIA  Fairuz FAUZY 01:16.776 01:15.710 01:15.710 1.203
10 LEBANON  Daniel MORAD 01:15.839 01:16.784 01:15.839 1.332
11 SOUTH AFRICA  Adrian ZAUGG 02:18.462 01:15.917 01:15.917 1.410
12 MEXICO  Salvador DURAN 01:16.703 01:15.972 01:15.972 1.465
13 BRAZIL  Felipe GUIMARAES 01:16.346 01:16.074 01:16.074 1.567
14 INDIA  Narain KARTHIKEYAN 01:16.165 01:16.146 01:16.146 1.639
15 GREAT BRITAIN  Daniel CLARKE 01:16.347 01:16.595 01:16.347 1.840
16 MONACO  Clivio PICCIONE 01:16.424 01:16.917 01:16.424 1.917
17 USA  Marco ANDRETTI 01:16.859 01:16.791 01:16.791 2.284
18 CHINA  Congfu CHENG 01:19.540 01:16.885 01:16.885 2.378
19 INDONESIA  Satrio HERMANTO 01:21.356 01:17.266 01:17.266 2.759

 Feature Race Qualifying Results - A1GP Taupo, New Zealand
Pos  A1 Team  Driver  Time S1  Time S2  Time  Gap First
1 IRELAND  Adam CARROLL 01:14.589 01:14.411 01:14.411 
2 NETHERLANDS  Robert DOORNBOS 01:16.087 01:14.676 01:14.676 0.265
3 PORTUGAL  Filipe ALBUQUERQUE 01:15.296 01:14.843 01:14.843 0.432
4 AUSTRALIA  John MARTIN 01:15.306 01:14.976 01:14.976 0.565
5 SWITZERLAND  Neel JANI 01:15.408 01:15.043 01:15.043 0.632
6 MALAYSIA  Fairuz FAUZY 01:16.138 01:15.246 01:15.246 0.835
7 FRANCE  Loic DUVAL 01:15.423 01:15.602 01:15.423 1.012
8 USA  Marco ANDRETTI   01:15.527 01:15.527 1.116
9 LEBANON  Daniel MORAD 01:15.587 01:15.631 01:15.587 1.176
10 NEW ZEALAND  Chris VAN DER DRIFT 01:15.899 01:15.622 01:15.622 1.211
11 INDIA  Narain KARTHIKEYAN 01:15.738 01:15.699 01:15.699 1.288
12 BRAZIL  Felipe GUIMARAES 01:16.305 01:15.812 01:15.812 1.401
13 MEXICO  Salvador DURAN 01:16.751 01:15.892 01:15.892 1.481
14 GREAT BRITAIN  Daniel CLARKE 01:16.674 01:15.902 01:15.902 1.491
15 ITALY  Edoardo PISCOPO 01:15.942   01:15.942 1.531
16 SOUTH AFRICA  Adrian ZAUGG 01:16.481 01:16.164 01:16.164 1.753
17 MONACO  Clivio PICCIONE 01:16.735 01:31.700 01:16.735 2.324
18 INDONESIA  Satrio HERMANTO 01:17.269 01:16.783 01:16.783 2.372
19 CHINA  Congfu CHENG 01:17.184   01:17.184 2.773