Photo: WTCC Media

Rob Huff leads Tarquini in Monza first practice

By

Chevrolet’s Rob Huff was fastest in the first practice session of the 2012 WTCC season, just ahead of Gabriele Tarquini in the new Lukoil Racing SEAT León WTCC.

After 10 minutes into the session, Tarquini was on top of the time sheets before Huff went out and set what ended up as the best lap of the session, a 1:58.679.

A number of cars spun on the circuit or made use of the escape road, including Darryl O’Young, Tom Chilton, Alain Menu and Yvan Muller.

Just before 20 minutes into the session, it was red flagged due to oil on the track at Ascari, which is suspected to have come from James Nash’s Ford Focus.

When the session resumed Tarquini went out and set the best first and third sectors, but lost time in sector two saw the Italian set a time just 0.241 down on Huff’s Chevrolet Cruze.

Yvan Muller and Alain Menu were next in the classification in their Chevrolets, with Norbert Michelisz the best placed BMW and independent driver in fifth.

Tiago Monteiro in the SEAT León TDI was sixth fastest, just over a second down on Huff’s time.

James Nash was the top Ford driver in tenth, and the fastest of the WTCC rookies.

The second session gets underway at 10:45 CET.