Nicky Catsburg dominates second practice in Slovakia
Nicky Catsburg produced the fastest lap of the weekend to date to top the second free practice session at the Slovakiaring ahead of the latest rounds of the World Touring Car Cup season.
The Hyundai driver dominated the half hour long session and would sit at the top of the times for the final 20 minutes of running having been the first driver to break the 2:10 marker at the wheel of his i30 N TCR.
The Dutch driver would eventually set a best time of 2:10.373 which was nearly seven tenths of a second quicker than fellow Hyundai man Norbert Michelisz had managed in FP1, and allowed him to finish three tenths clear of countryman Tom Coronel.
Coronel had been at the sharp end of the times for much of the session at the Cupra drivers continued to impress, with team-mate Aurelien Panis slotting into third place.
Kevin Ceccon once again displayed the pace in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta Veloce TCR by going fourth fastest, with the former single-seater ace posting the quickest time of all in the first sector on his final run – although he would ultimately end up half a second off the pace.
Frederic Vervisch was best of the Audi drivers in fifth ahead of Augusto Farfus and early pace-setter Jean-Karl Vernay, with Ma Qing Hua, Michelisz and the top Honda in the hands of Esteban Guerrieri rounding out the top ten.
Guerrieri was one of a handful of drivers to take trips off track during the session with a spin at the final corner just before the chequered flag dropped, whilst there was also a trip through the gravel for the Lynk & Co of Andy Priaulx.
Fellow Lynk & Co driver Thed Bjork also endured a difficult session as a damper issue restricted him to just six laps, although he joined Yvan Muller in breaking into the top 20 on the times.
As in FP1, Benjamin Leucther was the best of the VW drivers down in 15th spot.
