Nurburgring Auto GP: Ghirelli sets the pace in practice

The Italian's lap of 1m20.198s was a solid 0.483s faster than second-placed Super Nova team-mate Narain Karthikeyan.

Points leader Sergio Campana took third spot, edging out new Ibiza Racing team-mate Tamas Pal Kiss by 0.082s. Kiss switches across to Guiseppe Cipriani's team from Zele Racing.

Michael Zele's eponymous team, which fielded former grand prix driver Christian Klien in the preceding meeting at Mugello, is absent from the Nurburgring but is understood to be aiming for a return to the series at Donington in August.

Mugello on-the-road winner Meindert van Buuren was fifth. Continuing the team formation order at the head of the timing screens, the Dutchman's Manor MP Motorsport stable-mate Daniel de Jong completed the top six.

Auto GP debutant Roberto la Rocca finished a respectable eighth for new outfit Comtec by Virtuosi. Fresh from his Sauber Formula 1 test Kimiya Sato was ninth, albeit some 1.179s off Ghirelli's quickest time.

The Japanese racer is tied on 138 points in the championship with Campana, but is placed second on count-back owing to scoring fewer second places.

Former Superstars race winner Michela Cerruti finished the morning in 12th on her maiden Auto GP outing for MLR71.

Pos Driver                 Team                 Time       Gap     Laps
 1. Vittorio Ghirelli      Super Nova           1m20.198s           28
 2. Narain Karthikeyan     Super Nova           1m20.681s  +0.483s  24
 3. Sergio Campana         Ibiza Racing         1m20.935s  +0.737s  26
 4. Tamas Pal Kiss         Ibiza Racing         1m21.017s  +0.819s  23
 5. Meindert van Buuren    Manor MP             1m21.027s  +0.829s  27
 6. Daniel de Jong         Manor MP             1m21.141s  +0.943s  25
 7. Kevin Giovesi          Ghinzani             1m21.203s  +1.005s  18
 8. Roberto La Rocca       Comtec By Virtuosi   1m21.295s  +1.097s  24
 9. Kimiya Sato            Euronova             1m21.377s  +1.179s  14
10. Yoshitaka Kuroda       Euronova             1m21.518s  +1.320s  23
11. Robert Visoiu          Ghinzani             1m21.794s  +1.596s  24
12. Michela Cerruti        MLR 71               1m21.951s  +1.753s  23
13. Andrea Roda            Virtuosi UK          1m21.980s  +1.782s  27
14. Max Snegirev           Virtuosi UK          1m22.074s  +1.876s  25
15. Michele La Rosa        MLR 71               1m23.258s  +3.060s  18