Photo: TCR Media

Stefano Comini tops morning shakedown in Thailand

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Championship leader Stefano Comini was fastest in this morning’s shakedown session at Buriram, Thailand. The Target Competition driver was three tenths faster than title rival Pepe Oriola, with Mikhail Grachev in third in his Liqui Moly Team Engstler Volkswagen Golf.

Local star Munkong Sathienthirakul came fourth in his Craft-Bamboo SEAT, ahead of the two Hondas of René Munnich and Kevin Gleason. Hugo Valente put his Opel Astra OPC in seventh for Campos Racing. Robb Holland made it to the track and completed five faultless laps, finishing eighth in his Ford Focus, with Alain Menu ninth in his Top Run Subaru STi. Tomas Engstrom completed the top ten in his Volkswagen Golf.

Pole sitter Gianni Morbidelli also took part in the session, coming eleventh as the Italian never tried to do a quick lap and was more focused on system checks.

A number of TCR International Series stars elected not to take part in the session at all, including top ten starters Lorenzo Veglia, Loris Hezemans and Craft-Bamboo Lukoil team-mates Sergey Afanasyev and Jordi Gené.

Race 1 will start at 12.35 local time.