Stefano Comini fastest in Free Practice 1

Stefano Comini topped the first Free Practice session at the Red Bull Ring. The championship leader put his Target Competion SEAT ahead of Pepe Oriola’s Craft-Bamboo Lukoil León, with Pol Rosell third for Liqui Moly Team Engstler in the new Volkswagen Golf.

Oriola was fastest early in the session, but ten minutes in it was Comini who emerged as fastest, the Swiss driver also able to count on his previous experience at the Austrian track. With Belicchi in second ahead of Oriola midway through the session, it was Rosell who raised eyebrows by putting the Volkswagen Golf in second.

Meanwhile Gianni Morbidelli never looked comfortable with his Honda Civic TCR, standing around tenth before eventually setting off to do some quick laps later in the session and jumping up to seventh.

Behind the leading trio Andrea Belicchi also looked strong early in the session, forming a 1-2 with Target Competition team-mate Comini before slipping down to fourth. Lorenzo Veglia also looked strong, whereas Mikhail Grachev also managed a strong sixth in the Volkswagen Golf’s maiden TCR session.

Morbidelli was seventh ahead of Sergey Afanasyev, who came home ahead of Craft-Bamboo Lukoil team-mate Jordi Gené, with Kevin Gleason closing the top ten.

The Proteam Racing Ford Focus was unable to go out on track, the team claiming they will do as much as they can in order to be ready for Free Practice 2.

A number of drivers were warned for track limits and got their times deleted, including Pepe Oriola, Stefano Comini, Michela Cerruti and Pol Rosell. Morbidelli also had an off late in the session at turn 3 while he was improving his lap time.

The TCR International Series will be back on track at 13.00 local time.