First official test of the year
The start of the 2006 FIA WTCC season is approaching. The competitors have completed the first of six official test sessions in Monza, each lasting one hour.
In damp conditions it was Andy Priaulx who set the pace to begin with. As the times dropped the leading driver changed with Rickard Rydell, Jörg Müller, Dirk Müller and Alain Menu all visiting the top spot. However, it was the N.technology driver Augusto Farfus who posted the overall best time of 2:11.498 and he did so with less than 2 minutes of the session remaining.
Farfus’ team-mates Gianni Morbidelli and Salvatore Tavano set the third and fourth best times respectively. The reigning world champion, Priaulx, was placed in between the Alfa pack as he completed the second best lap of 2:12.241 in his BMW Team UK 320si. BMW Team Germany drivers, Jörg and Dirk Müller achieved the 6th and 7th fastest times. Rydell had the best result of the SEAT Sport squad of six. His time of 2:12.770 was the fifth best overall. Team-mate James Thompson occupied the final position in the top ten.
Despite being the fastest lap for a while, Menu’s time of 2:13.432 was the 8th quickest overall. Fellow Chevrolet man, Robert Huff was just 0.004 of a second behind him in 9th.
