Thed Björk leads Volvo 1-2 in second practice in Italy

Polestar Cyan Racing’s Thed Björk was fastest of all in the second practice session at Monza, leading team-mate Néstor Girolami by a quarter of a second, as the Volvos jumped ahead of the Hondas.

Björk was fast from the off, quickly breaking into the high 1:53s and working his way down to a 1:53.160 by the end of the 45-minute session.

Norbert Michelisz briefly took over the top spot in his Honda Civic, while team-mate and championship leader Tiago Monteiro was also set to improve before going wide at the first Lesmo and had to abort his lap.

Girolami then took over the top position before Björk set his fastest lap with just under ten minutes to go.

Michelisz and Monteiro would finish the session third and fourth, while Tom Chilton was the fastest of the Citroëns in fifth in the Sébastien Loeb Racing entry.

Nicky Catsburg ensured all three Volvos were in the top six, while Rob Huff was seventh fastest in his Münnich Citroën, with RC Lada driver Yann Ehrlacher, Honda’s Ryo Michigami and ROAL Chevrolet’s Tom Coronel completing the top ten.

After a handful of punctures in the first practice, there was just one in this session, with Lada newcomer Kevin Gleason picking up a front-left puncture in the first sector late in the session.

The next session is qualifying, which gets underway at 14:10 CET.