Giovanardi fastest despite off

Despite causing a red flag with a spin, Vauxhall’s Fabrizio Giovanardi topped a soaking wet second Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship practice session at Knockhill.

Giovanardi was ahead for virtually the whole session, although SEAT team-mates Jason Plato and Darren Turner were just 1000ths of a second behind by the end.

Italian Giovanardi set the pace in a time of 58.145s, although had caused the session to be halted mid-way when his Astra Sport Hatch spun into the gravel trap at the third corner, Scotsman. It was the conclusion to a wild moment that had begun when he initially lost control over the kerbs at the first corner, SEAT Curves.

However, Giovanardi’s pace bodes well ahead of this afternoon’s qualifying session which, with the rain looking likely to stay, could result in him achieving his first ever BTCC pole position.

Meanwhile, Plato and Turner were just 0.013s and 0.073s behind respectively in their Leons which looked rock steady over Knockhill’s leaps and kerbs. Colin Turkington’s Team RAC MG, that had set the fastest ever BTCC lap time around Knockhill in session one’s drying conditions, was fourth fastest with a lap of 52.218s. Championship leader Matt Neal and home hero Gordon Shedden completed the top six in their Team Halfords Hondas.

Elsewhere, Adam Jones also spun at Scotsman in his Xero Competition Lexus, this resulting in a second brief red-flag period while the car was towed back to the pit lane. He did not restart the session – likewise James Kaye who abandoned his Synchro Honda Civic after it spun onto the infield exiting the John R Weir Chicane. Martyn Bell also experienced a quick revolution in his Geoff Steel Racing BMW 320i but was able to continue.

This afternoon’s half-hour qualifying session, that will decide the starting grid order for the first of tomorrow’s three BTCC rounds, is scheduled to start at 16.40 CET.