Beijing: Monteiro fastest in wet test session

Coronel was the best of the Chevrolet drivers

By Franck Drui

4 October 2014 - 03:25
Beijing: Monteiro fastest in wet (…)

The track was still wet after a rainy night when the test session kicked off in a grey early morning at Goldenport.

The tricky conditions resulted in a few driving mistakes. Tom Coronel spun at T1 and rejoined, scattering gravel on the track. Just after the half of the session, Michael J. Soong spun onto the gravel bed at Turn 13; his SEAT was beached and the red flag was waved. After the session resumed, Yvan Muller spun at T14.

Mehdi Bennani set the pace for most of the testing, improving consistently from 1:20.476 to 1:18.991.

As the track dried up and drivers gained confidence, lap times improved significantly. Muller clocked a new provisional fastest lap of 1:18.573 that was soon bettered by Rob Huff’s 1:18.537. Then José María López pushed the limit even further and was clocked at 1:18.237, before beaking the 1:18. wall on the following lap: 1:17.912.

Huff also improved and moved up to second with a lap of 1:18.233, but Tiago Monteiro had the last word, stopping the clock at 1:17.550 that placed him on top, ahead of López, Huff and Tarquini (1:18.439).

Tom Coronel was the best of the Chevrolet drivers, in eighth position (1:18.907). John Filippi led the TC2T class (1:24.568).

Pos. Driver Car Time
1 Tiago MONTEIRO Honda Civic WTCC 1:17.550
2 José Maria LOPEZ Citroen C-Elysee WTCC 1:17.912
3 Rob HUFF LADA Granta 1.6T 1:18.233
4 Gabriele TARQUINI Honda Civic WTCC 1:18.439
5 Sébastien LOEB Citroen C-Elysee WTCC 1:18.455
6 Mehdi BENNANI Honda Civic WTCC 1:18.590
7 Yvan MULLER Citroen C-Elysee WTCC 1:18.879
8 Tom CORONEL Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 1:18.907
9 James THOMPSON LADA Granta 1.6T 1:19.176
10 Mikhail KOZLOVSKIY LADA Granta 1.6T 1:19.401
11 Gianni MORBIDELLI Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 1:19.552
12 Tom CHILTON Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 1:19.636
13 Norbert MICHELISZ Honda Civic WTCC 1:19.659
14 Qing Hua MA Citroen C-Elysee WTCC 1:20.019
15 Dusan BORKOVIC Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 1:20.573
16 Hugo VALENTE Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 1:20.888
17 René MUNNICH Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 1:21.713
18 John FILIPPI Seat Leon WTCC 1:24.568
19 Michael John SOONG Seat Leon WTCC 1:25.959
20 Franz ENGSTLER BMW E90 320 TC 1:26.553
21 Filipe DE SOUZA BMW E90 320 TC 1:34.595

WTCR

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