Photo: Chevrolet Media

Yvan Muller quickest on Thursday testing day

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Reigning WTCC champion Yvan Muller was the pace setter on the first official test day of the new season ahead of Rob Huff and Alain Menu, with Alex MacDowall leading the way in the independents’ category.

Chevrolet’s best times were set in the final of five sessions, with the team sitting out the fourth session as they changed the engines on their Cruze 1.6Ts.

Gabriele Tarquini ran on old tyres in the morning, setting his first sub-one minute lap in the final session to end the day with the fourth fastest time in the brand new SEAT León WTCC of Lukoil Racing Team.

Alex MacDowall was the quickest of the independent drivers in the Bamboo Engineering Chevrolet Cruze in fifth, closely followed by Rickard Rydell in the Chevrolet Motorsport Sweden Cruze.

Tom Coronel was the leading BMW in seventh ahead of team-mate Alberto Cerqui.

Tom Chilton was 13th fastest overall in the Arena Ford Focus.

There’s no testing for the WTCC teams on Friday, with Free Practice starting at 9am local time.