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Auto GP Sonoma: Sergey Sirotkin leads first practice

Euronova Racing's Sergey Sirotkin led the opening Auto GP World Series free practice session at Sonoma, on the championship's maiden visit to the United States

Sirotkin recorded a fastest lap of 1m27.882s in the final minute of the half-hour session, having exchanged position at the top of the timing screens with 2012 champion Adrian Quaife-Hobbs throughout.

Quaife-Hobbs was the only other driver to break into the 1m27s, ending the morning second, just 0.104 seconds behind Sirotkin. Both men reported they had used worn sets of Kumhos.

Daniel de Jong briefly led the session at the halfway mark, before slipping to third. The Dutchman is the only Manor MP Motorsport driver in action this weekend, as regular 2012 team-mate Chris van der Drift is driving a McLaren in a clashing GT race.

Fourth-placed Pal Varhaug is defending his runner-up position in the drivers' standings in this final round of the season. The Norwegian holds a 10-point advantage over Sirotkin, with 48 on offer.

On his return to the series, Italian Giacomo Ricci took fifth for MLR 71. Compatriot, and former MLR 71 racer, Sergio Campana completed the top six on his debut with Zele Racing.

Team-mate and Curitiba victor Antonio Pizzonia ended the session in seventh.

Series newcomer Kotaru Sakurai was an impressive eighth, while Sonoma's other debutant Pippa Mann encountered difficulties with her driving position and propped up the classification.

Auto GP is using a different variant of the Sonoma circuit to that used by IndyCar. The key changes are a wider approach to Turn 7 and an extended approach to the Turn 11 hairpin.

Pos  Driver               Team         Time       Gap
 1.  Sergey Sirotkin      Euronova     1m27.882s
 2.  Adrian Quaife-Hobbs  Super Nova   1m27.986s  + 0.104s
 3.  Daniel de Jong       Manor MP     1m28.325s  + 0.443s
 4.  Pal Varhaug          Virtuosi UK  1m28.386s  + 0.504s
 5.  Giacomo Ricci        MLR 71       1m28.627s  + 0.745s
 6.  Sergio Campana       Zele         1m28.828s  + 0.946s
 7.  Antonio Pizzonia     Zele         1m28.903s  + 1.021s
 8.  Kotaro Sakurai       Euronova     1m28.958s  + 1.076s
 9.  Giancarlo Serenelli  Ombra        1m29.579s  + 1.697s
10.  Maxim Snegirev       Campos       1m30.377s  + 2.495s
11.  Francesco Dracone    Virtuosi UK  1m30.786s  + 2.904s
12.  Michele la Rosa      MLR 71       1m31.396s  + 3.514s
13.  Antonio Spavone      Ombra        1m31.540s  + 3.658s
14.  Giuseppe Cipriani    Campos       1m32.855s  + 4.973s
15.  Pippa Mann           Campos       1m33.917s  + 6.035s

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