Photo: WTCC Media

Thompson tops second test at Brno

By

The fastest driver in the second free practice session at Brno was James Thompson. Behind the wheel of his N.technology-run Alfa Romeo 156, the Briton set a 2:13.857 lap with seven minutes in the session remaining.

Below him on the timesheet was Jörg Müller for BMW Team Germany with a 2:13.934 and SEAT Sport’s Gabriele Tarquini with a 2:13.954, who were 0.077 and 0.097 seconds off Thompson respectively.

Remarkably, independent competitor Massimiliano Pedalà from SEAT Sport Italia set the fourth best time overall (2:14.016). Fellow independent driver Pierre-Yves Corthals also set a solid time of 2:14.352 to place seventh overall.

In between the privateers were two Spaniards: Félix Porteiro of BMW Team Italy-Spain with a 2:14.063 and Jordi Gené of SEAT Sport with a 2:14.308.

Tom Coronel of GR Asia (2:14.533), Tiago Monteiro (2:14.600) and Andy Priaulx (2:14.604) finished off the top ten.

Alain Menu achieved Chevrolet’s best time. He completed a lap in 2:14.814 which was the 13th best. His team-mates Nicola Larini and Robert Huff set the 15th and 20th best times respectively. The fastest 13 drivers were covered by only nine tenths of a second.

Philip Geipel and Davide Roda both had early ends to the session after they made separate mistakes and became stranded in the gravel.