Rob Huff was the dominant pace setter in the second free practice session of FIA WTCC Race of China as the FIA World Touring Car Championship field continued to acclimatise to the new Ningbo International circuit in soaking conditions on Saturday morning.
The ALL-INKL.COM Munnich Motorsport Citroën C-Elysée WTCC topped the timesheets throughout the 45-minute session and at times was more than two seconds faster than anyone else. Huff’s 11th lap was his best, a time of 2m 00.585s ending up half a second faster than the next best driver, Nicky Catsburg in the first of the Polestar Cyan Racing Volvos.
Catsburg edged out Esteban Guerrieri, who will surely be happy be with his pace ahead of qualifying. The Campos Racing Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 recovered from a grassy moment and subsequent spin to indicate he will be a contender this weekend.
Briton Tom Chilton was fourth fastest in his Sebastien Loeb Racing Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, ahead of returning WTCC hero Gabriele Tarquini who is subbing for championship leader Tiago Monteiro in the Castrol Honda WTC Team Honda Civic following the Potuguese driver’s Barcelona testing crash.
Yann Ehrlacher’s RC Motorsport LADA Vesta WTCC was sixth ahead of Nestor Girolami, whose Polestar Cyan Racing Volvo S60 had set the pace in the first free practice session.
Sebastien Loeb Racing’s Mehdi Bennani, Polestar’s Thed Björk and Honda’s Norbert Michelisz rounded out the top 10.
Qualifying takes place at 15.15pm local time.