Luca Engstler tops opening practice for Touring Car Cup
Luca Engstler produced the quickest time in the opening practice session ahead of the Touring Car Cup element of the inaugural FIA Motorsport Games in Italy.
The German driver posted a best time of 1:40.928 at the wheel of his Hyundai i30 N TCR with only minutes left on the clock to vault up into top spot, which had looked to be going the way of Russian driver Klim Gavrilov.
Gavrilov had spent much of the session on top of the times having traded the place with fellow Audi driver Gilles Magnus, but Engstler’s late lap saw him instead secure early bragging rights by just under two-tenths of a second.
Engstler was the only driver to lap the Vallelunga circuit in under 1:41 over the course of the session.
Fellow Hyundai driver Mat’o Homola also left it late in the session to make his move up the order, posting the third quickest time on his final lap to slot into third for Team Slovakia between Gavrilov and Magnus – with the Belgian driver ending up just 0.006s outside the top three.
Tom Coronel was less than tenth of a second further back in fifth place at the wheel of his Honda Civic Type R TCR, with the lone Cupra on the entry of John Filippi rounding out the top six for Team France.
Jessica Bäckman’s Hyundai was seventh fastest for Team Sweden ahead of the Peugeot of Spaniard Gonzalo de Andres, with New Zealander Faine Kahia and Italian racer Enrico Bettera rounding out the top ten in their Audis.
Fastest of the Alfa Romeo drivers was Hungarian racer Norbert Kiss in twelfth, just ahead of the Volkswagen of Lithuanian Julius Adomavičius. Rory Butcher was the fastest of the MG drivers in 17th spot for Team Great Britain.
Second practice is scheduled for 14:35 local time.
