Argentina, FP1: Another 1-2 for RML drivers
Muller dominates practice in Argentina
In a repeat of the result from yesterday’s Testing session, the pair of RML Chevrolet Cruze cars set the two fastest times in Free Practice 1 at the Termas de Río Hondo circuit.
Yvan Muller (1:49.096) was a little over six-tenths of a second quicker than his teammate Tom Chilton (1:49.749), with the Castrol Honda Civic of Tiago Monteiro third (1:49.861).
Local fans will be delighted at the pace of Argentine driver ‘Pechito’ López, who was fourth fastest - and best of the Yokohama Trophy – in the Wiechers-Sport BMW with a best lap of 1:49.906, while Norbert Michelisz was fifth in the Zengö Motorsport Honda Civic (1:50.082) ahead of the LADA Granta of James Thompson in sixth (1:50.304).
Hugo Valente emerged as the best of the SEAT drivers, placing himself in eighth position with a lap of 1:50.692.
The predicted slippery track conditions caught out several drivers during the thirty-minute session, with the three BMW cars of Charles Ng, López and Darryl O’Young all exploring – and exceeding – the grip levels at various points of the circuit.
The second Free Practice session begins at 12.00 local time, with the two-stage Qualifying due to start at 15.45 local time (20.45 CET)
Pos. | Driver | Car | Time |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Yvan MULLER | Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T | 1:49.096 |
2 | Tom CHILTON | Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T | 1:49.749 |
3 | Tiago MONTEIRO | Honda Civic | 1:49.861 |
4 | José Maria LOPEZ | BMW 320 TC | 1:49.906 |
5 | Norbert MICHELISZ | Honda Civic | 1:50.082 |
6 | James THOMPSON | Lada Granta | 1:50.304 |
7 | Gabriele TARQUINI | Honda Civic | 1:50.413 |
8 | Hugo VALENTE | SEAT Leon WTCC | 1:50.692 |
9 | Rob HUFF | SEAT Leon WTCC | 1:50.745 |
10 | Alex MACDOWALL | Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T | 1:50.753 |
11 | Darryl O’YOUNG | BMW 320 TC | 1:50.885 |
12 | Pepe ORIOLA | Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T | 1:50.925 |
13 | Tom CORONEL | BMW 320 TC | 1:51.128 |
14 | René MUNNICH | SEAT Leon WTCC | 1:51.167 |
15 | Stefano D’ASTE | BMW 320 TC | 1:51.243 |
16 | Charles NG | BMW 320 TC | 1:51.268 |
17 | Michel NYKJAER | Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T | 1:51.303 |
18 | Fernando MONJE | SEAT Leon WTCC | 1:51.391 |
19 | Mehdi BENNANI | BMW 320 TC | 1:51.667 |
20 | James NASH | Chevrolet Cruze 1.6T | 1:51.738 |
21 | Marc BASSENG | SEAT Leon WTCC | 1:51.800 |
22 | Franz ENGSTLER | BMW 320 TC | 1:51.981 |
23 | Mikhail KOZLOVSKIY | Lada Granta | 1:52.605 |
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