LADA fans were given plenty of reason to cheer when Rob Huff stole the limelight with a rapid run in Free Practice 2 for ROSNEFT WTCC Race of Russia.
Huff, winner of the 2012 FIA World Touring Car Championship, beat Citroën duo Yvan Muller and José María López to the top of the times with Tom Chilton (Chevrolet Cruze) the top Yokohama Drivers’ Trophy contender in fourth followed by category rival Mehdi Bennani.
Driving a Vesta TC1 for the Russian make, Huff set a benchmark time of 1m38.853s, which was 0.043s quicker than Muller’s best effort.
“It’s very good,” said the Briton. “The car has been running well all weekend and it’s the first time we’ve had the chance to show our best pace after an alternator problem earlier. We’re improving and the car is responding to the changes we’re making. Step-by-step we’re moving forward. It’s pretty promising but now we’ll have to wait to see what happens in qualifying this afternoon.”
Huff was one of a number of drivers to use a fresh set of Yokohama tyres, which helped him to up his pace. In contrast, Gabriele Tarquini, who was fastest for Honda in Free Practice 1, was one of a number of drivers to stick with used covers.
Other drivers to impress during the 30 minute session included WTCC rookie Nicky Catsburg, who was sixth fastest for LADA, and Swede Rickard Rydell, who was seventh fastest on his first WTCC appearance for three months due to illness.
Qualifying begins at 13h30 local time.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Car | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Huff | LADA Sport Rosneft | Lada | 1:38.853 |
| 2 | Yvan Muller | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | 1:38.896 |
| 3 | Jose Maria Lopez | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | 1:39.226 |
| 4 | Tom Chilton | ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet | 1:39.254 |
| 5 | Mehdi Bennani | Sebastien Loeb Racing | Citroen | 1:39.396 |
| 6 | Hugo Valente | Campos Racing | Chevrolet | 1:39.483 |
| 7 | Nicky Catsburg | LADA Sport Rosneft | Lada | 1:39.623 |
| 8 | Rickard Rydell | Nika International | Honda | 1:39.650 |
| 9 | Ma Qing Hua | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | 1:39.728 |
| 10 | Gabriele Tarquini | Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda | 1:39.792 |
| 11 | Sebastien Loeb | Citroen Total WTCC | Citroen | 1:39.912 |
| 12 | Norbert Michelisz | Zengo Motorsport | Honda | 1:40.008 |
| 13 | Tiago Monteiro | Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda | 1:40.024 |
| 14 | John Filippi | Campos Racing | Chevrolet | 1:40.369 |
| 15 | Tom Coronel | ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet | 1:40.437 |
| 16 | Jaap Van Lagen | LADA Sport Rosneft | Lada | 1:40.714 |
| 17 | Stefano D’Aste | Munnich Motorsport | Chevrolet | 1:40.961 |
| 18 | Grégoire Demoustier | Craft-Bamboo Racing | Chevrolet | 1:41.273 |