Monza, FP1 : Muller fastest in first practice

Chevrolet may no longer be an official Manufacturer team in the WTCC, but the pace in the first Free Practice session at Monza was set by one of the RML-run Cruze cars.

Yvan Muller set a lap time of 1:58.078 to top the timesheet ahead of the Honda Civic of Tiago Monteiro (1:58.790) and Pepe Oriola in a SEAT León (1:58.791).

Muller was the first driver to leave the pitlane, such was his keenness to start the 2013 season. After early quick times from the two Castrol Honda Civic cars of Monteiro and Gabriele Tarquini (1:59.007), Muller and his team-mate Tom Chilton (1:58.812) then ran 1-2 for much of the session, but Monteiro was able to post the second fastest lap of 1:58.790 late in the session.

Behind the RML Chevrolet and Honda cars and Oriola’s SEAT, Alex MacDowall (1:59.143) was sixth fastest in the bamboo-engineering Chevrolet Cruze and James Thompson (1:59.308) an impressive seventh quickest in the Lukoil LADA Granta.

Several drivers, including Norbert Michelisz and Darryl O’Young took to the escape road at the Turn 1 chicane, while the yellow flags made a brief appearance when the BMW of Charles Ng spun into the barriers at Turn 4.

The second Free Practice begins at 11.45 CET, with the two-part Qualifying session due to start at 15.00.