Photo: WTCC Media

Alain Menu leads Muller in second free practice in Slovakia

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Alain Menu led the way in the final practice session ahead of this afternoon’s qualifying session ahead of Chevrolet team-mate Yvan Muller, with James Nash’s Ford Focus third quickest.

The Swiss driver was the only driver in the 2:13s in FP2, but still wasn’t faster than Pepe Oriola’s benchmark time set in the SEAT León WTCC in the morning session.

Tom Coronel set the early pace before James Nash jumped to the top of the time sheets after 10 minutes with a time of 2:14.608, before Menu took eight-tenths out of the Englishman’s time to go fastest of all and stay there, with Yvan Muller improving to second in the final part of the session.

Turn 2 was the corner which caught the most drivers out with Special Tuning Racing’s Darryl O’Young, Wiechers-Sport’s Stefano D’Aste and Championship leader Yvan Muller all having excursions at the fast right-hander.

Gabriele Tarquini also went off at the end of the session whilst pushing for a faster time, with his SEAT León ending up stuck in the gravel after the chequered flag had waved, and finished tenth fastest in the session.

Pepe Oriola was the fastest independent driver in fourth for SUNRED Engineering with Tom Coronel again the best placed BMW in fifth, despite the two drivers both having an off into the gravel at Turn 6 just over half way through the session

Qualifying is next at 15:00 CET.