Suzuka, FP2: Menu remains the fastest

Alain Menu has led all the three sessions held so far. After being on top in yesterday’s test and this morning’s Practice 1, the Swiss driver set the fastest time once again in the second free practice.

Menu’s posted a first provisional fastest lap of 54.300 in the early stages. Halfway through the session he was demoted to third, when Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro improved to 54.184 and 54.195 respectively.

But this did not last for long, as Menu retook the lead completing a lap of 53.750 with ten minutes left on the clock.

In the session’s dying minutes Rob Huff was timed at 53.808 and climbed to second, then Fernando Monje created a surprise going for new tyres and posting the third fastest lap of 54.041 that also gave him the leadership in the Yokohama Trophy.

Otherwise it would have been the usual Chevrolet trio on top, as Yvan Muller (54.058) was classified fourth ahead of Tarquini and Monteiro.

Just like in the first practice Hiroki Yoshimoto and his SUNRED León claimed a brilliant seventh position, with Pepe Oriola in eighth and the best BMW, Norbert Michelisz’s, in ninth. James Nash rounded off the top-ten with his Ford.

Once again a bunch of drivers explored the circuit’s run-off areas, but they all rejoined with no damage: Masaki Kano, Oriola, Aleksei Dudukalo and Michelisz at Turn 1, Oriola at Turn 2, Tom Chilton and Kano at Turn 8.

Tom Coronel and Franz Engstler missed most of the session, because their team crews were forced to change broken exhausts on their BMW cars. Both drivers were only able to join the session in time to complete one single lap.