Photo: TCR Media

Pepe Oriola leads morning test session in Portugal

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Pepe Oriola topped the morning test in the Algarve, Portugal. The Spaniard put his ballast-laden SEAT León Racer in first, just a blink of an eye ahead of series newcomer Kelvin van der Linde. The Liqui Moly Team Engstler South African came home ahead of the other two Craft-Bamboo Lukoil cars, with Jordi Gené in third ahead of Sergey Afanasiev.

Former Porsche Supercup champion Nikki Thiim confirmed the strong form of the Audis by claiming fifth, just ahead of Gianni Morbidelli’s Honda Civic TCR. The Italian is eight-tenths off the pace, despite 30kg of success ballast coming off of his WestCoast Racing Civic.

Mikhail Grachev took over the wheel from team-mate Lorenzo Veglia in the Liqui Moly Team Engstler SEAT León Racer, finishing seventh, just ahead of championship leader Stefano Comini. Oscar Nogués was ninth in the Campos Opel, with Veglia finishing tenth with the time set before handing his car to team-mate Grachev.

Target Competition’s Michel Nykjaer and Andrea Belicchi were just outside the top ten, in 11th and 12th respectively.

The session will continue until 5.30pm local time.