Aurélien Panis tops fast-paced first practice session in Morocco
Comtoyou Racing Cupra driver Aurélien Panis topped the timesheets in a fast moving first free practice session at the Circuit Moulay El Hassan in Marrakech, with the drying circuit seeing the times rapidly improving throughout.
The Frenchman set his best time of 1:25.841 right at the end of the session, just pipping the WRT Audi RS 3 LMS of Jean-Karl Vernay by a tenth of a second, the only other driver under the 1:26 barrier.
Nicky Catsburg was third on his world touring car return, and the leading BRC Racing Team Hyundai driver in the i30 N TCR which dominated this event last year, while Yann Ehrlacher was the fastest of the all-new Cyan Racing Lynk & Co 03 TCRs in fourth.
Tiago Monteiro, who sat out most of the session as the circuit continued to dry out, with no further rain expected today, finished as the best-placed of the Hondas in fifth, just ahead of Esteban Guerrieri who likewise had limited running in his Münnich Motorsport Honda Civic TCR.
Yvan Muller was seventh, the second-best of the Lynk & Cos, with Daniel Haglöf eighth on his WTCR debut in the PWR Racing Cupra, with the Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS of Frédéric Vervisch, and the BRC Hyundai of Norbert Michelisz completing the top ten.
British drivers Andy Priaulx and Rob Huff just missed the top ten, with the Lynk & Co and Volkswagen drivers just seven-tenths off the pace, with reigning champion Gabriele Tarquini 13th in his BRC Hyundai.
Johan Kristoffersson, making his WTCR debut, was 16th in the Sébastien Loeb Racing Volkswagen, while the best-placed of the Team Mulsanne Alfa Romeos was Kevin Ceccon in 21st.
One second covered the top 18 cars in the session, with the second free practice following at 11:00 local time (12:00 CET).
