Photo: Polestar

Thed Björk fastest in first free practice at the Shanghai International Circuit

Thed Björk put Volvo on top in the first free practice session of the FIA World Touring Car Championship weekend at Shanghai International Circuit.

The Polestar Cyan Racing driver lapped the circuit in 1:51.999 and was just over two tenths of a second faster than reigning champion José María López and three tenths faster than Citroën’s Yvan Muller in third.

Norbert Michelisz was fastest of the Honda drivers in fourth position, 0.558 seconds from P1, while Fredrik Ekblom made it two Volvos in the top five on his return to the championship.

Nicky Catsburg headed Lada team-mate Gabriele Tarquini in sixth and seventh position, while Rob Huff rounded off the top eight.

The session proceeded without any incidents, although with the start of the session being delayed by 15 minutes due to track preparations. The second free practice session starts at 05:00 CET.