Motegi, FP1: Girolami makes a flying return to the WTCC

Néstor Girolami enjoyed the perfect start to his return to the FIA World Touring Car Championship, setting the pace in Free Practice 1 for WTCC JVCKENWOOD Race of Japan.

In his first competitive WTCC session with Polestar Cyan Racing, Girolami went to the top of the timing screens early in the session, when all of the best lap times were set. His benchmark of 1m56.437s remained good enough to top the session, an impressive 1.4 seconds ahead of his closest rival, LADA driver Nicky Catsburg.

“It was a very, very good start for us,” said Girolami, whose lap time was under last season’s race lap record of 1m57.136s. “We have new tyres but anyway the car was very, very good, it feels very nice with good grip. We will see in another session in Free Practice 2 the real times for the other drivers but it’s good starting P1.”

Girolami’s team-mate Thed Björk made it a particularly strong early showing for the Volvos in third ahead of the two factory Citroëns of Yvan Muller and José María López. Gabriele Tarquini and Hugo Valente ensured all three LADAs were in the top seven.

The four works Hondas were located between positions eight and 12. Fastest of them was Rob Huff ahead of Tiago Monteiro, while John Filippi took P10 in his Chevrolet RML Cruze with his final lap of the session, demoting Norbert Michelisz and local hero Ryo Michigami.

Filippi set the WTCC Trophy pace followed by Mehdi Bennani and Tom Chilton.

Strong Japan start proves testing pays, says Polestar WTCC boss

Polestar’s Head of Motorsport says Néstor Girolami’s fastest time in Free Practice 1 at FIA WTCC JVCKENWOOD Race of Japan this morning is proof that the team’s testing is paying dividends.

Volvo’s performance brand, which is embarking on a long-term WTCC campaign, has recently begun running a dedicated test programme with Thed Björk and Robert Dahlgren both in action for the make at Mantorp Park in Sweden late last month.

“Obviously coming in like Néstor is doing completely fresh you are going to get a full set of fresh tyres and some of [the performance] is fresh tyres,” Polestar boss Alexander Murdzevski Schedvin explained. “But Thed was on a set of worn tyres like everybody else in the top three so it’s encouraging and showing perhaps our testing is doing some progress like we hoped and hopefully we will spoil Honda’s party a little bit this weekend.”

Girolami, the back-to-back Súper TC2000 champion from Argentina, has been brought into the Polestar Cyan Racing line-up for the first time and is highly rated.

“We have used four different drivers to get a broad perspective as possible on set-up and settings on the car,” Murdzevski Schedvin continued. “As we have not decided on drivers for next year we don’t want to build the car according to one driver, we want to have a neutral base. Work is progressing and it feels like we have done a step forward from Argentina so we are looking forward to a good weekend.”