Craft Bamboo Lukoil’s Pepe Oriola, who currently leads the race for the TCR International Series’ drivers title, asserted his dominance in both free practice sessions at the Sochi Autodrom.
The Spaniard, who is currently level on points with team mate James Nash, posted the fastest time in the first session with a 2:22.022, beating Russian stablemate Sergey Afanasyev by 0.537 seconds around the 5.848-km track.
Three different manufacturers were in the top four in first practice, as Leopard Racing’s Jean-Karl Vernay was a fraction ahead of West Coast Racing’s Mikhail Grachev, as the Frenchman was just 0.017 ahead.
With several drivers concerned about the hoards of locusts recently sweeping potentially causing cooling issues, times improved over the course of the first half-hour session, Oriola was at the sharp end of the timetable along with Nash from the very beginning.
Mat’o Homola was the best of the B3 Racing Seat Léon TCR in fifth, ahead of defending champion Stefano Comini, with Dušan Borković 0.001 seconds behind the Swiss ace.
Nash found himself in eighth, 0.906 seconds slower than the pace set by Oriola, as Atilla Tassi and Gianni Morbidelli completed the top ten.
Oriola would dip below the 2m22s barrier in the second thirtty-minute session, initially posting a 2:21.896, before a three-way battle for the top spot involving Afanasyev and Comini started with just ten minutes remaining.
The Russian went faster, before Comini was able to push his Volkswagen Golf GTI TCR to top spot with a 2:21.314. Oriola replied with his best effort on his last lap, going 0.191 seconds quicker.
Grachev kept his Honda Civic in the top three, ahead of Vernay, Afanasyev and Morbidelli, with the top six being separated by 0.872 seconds.
Mulsanne Racing’s Petr Fulín set his best time of the weekend so far in seventh, having been sidelined in the first session due to electrical issues with his Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR.
Nash was behind the Czech driver in eighth, with Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Davit Kajaja and new team mate, Russia’s Vladimir Sheshein, completing the top ten.
“We did a few changes in the set-up and they worked well, so we are happy,” said Oriola. “I did not have new tyres, only some fresher ones with respect to this morning.”