Photo: WTCC Media

Gené on top in second practice

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Jordi Gené has set the pace in the second free practice session at Imola. The Spaniard topped the time sheets ahead of fellow SEAT Léon TDI driver, Rickard Rydell.

Gené’s time of 1:56:465 was a mere 0.026 seconds ahead of Rydell’s time.

Andy Priaulx was the best placed BMW in third, less than a quarter of a second behind Rydell.

The pace setter from the first free practice session, Gabriele Tarquini, could only manage 8th fastest in the second free practice.

Tarquini’s fellow championship protagonists Yvan Muller and Augusto Farfus endured mixed fortunes.

Muller kept close to Tarquini as he set the 9th fastest time, whereas Farfus was some way off the pace. The Brazilian ended the session a lowly 18th, almost 1.5 seconds away from Gené’s time.

James Thompson set the 12th fastest time, in another strong performance for the LADA Priora.

The session was stopped early, when the red flag was shown after an incident between Stefano D’Aste and Fabio Fabiani.

Contact between the pair left Fabiani stranded in a precarious position, and the session was red flagged for safety reasons.