Yvan Muller topped the times in this morning’s first free practice session for the World Touring Car Championship in Valencia, Spain, as the works Chevrolet drivers filled the top three positions.
Click here for the full first practice times.
The reigning champion set a time of 1:43.049 to go fastest, with Rob Huff 0.096 seconds behind. Alain Menu made it three blue cars in the top three, lapping 0.644 seconds slower than his French team-mate.
Once again showing competitive pace in his SEAT Leon WTCC was Spaniard Pepe Oriola who was fourth fastest at his home circuit. The 17 year-old was faster than experienced fifth-placed man Gabriele Tarquini in equal machinery, with Tarquini 0.749 seconds off the outright pace.
Tom Coronel was sixth fastest and the last driver to be within a second of Muller’s time. He was followed by fellow BMW drivers Norbert Michelisz in seventh and Alberto Cerqui in eighth.
Tiago Monteiro is competing with a 2011-spec Sunred engine this weekend and was ninth fastest. The Portugese racer competed in the previous event with an even older TDI engine and, due to supply issues, is switching to a Sunred 1.6 Turbo until SEAT sport can supply him with a 2012-spec engine.
Completing the top ten was Aleksei Dudukalo, who is competing with a 2012-spec SEAT engine along with Oriola and Tarquini.