Menu leads the way at Brands Hatch
Alain Menu topped both World Touring Car Championship practice sessions at Brands Hatch today
The Chevrolet driver edged out BMW's Augusto Farfus by just 0.015 seconds in the first session, before extending his advantage over the Brazilian to quarter of a second in the second.
Tom Coronel set the third quickest time of the day in his SEAT Leon, ahead of home driver Andy Priaulx's BMW. Another Briton, James Thompson, was fifth in N.Technology's Honda Accord, with Rickard Rydell completing the top six in the first of the diesel-powered SEATs.
Robert Dahlgren was an excellent seventh on his first WTCC appearance of the season in the Volvo C30, despite completing just six laps in the afternoon.
Jorg Muller, Rob Huff, and Pierre-Yves Corthals completed the top ten runners, for BMW, Chevrolet, and SEAT respectively.
The two championship frontrunners struggled, with Gabriele Tarquini and Yvan Muller finishing the day just 15th and 18th fastest in their Leon TDIs.
Combined practice times:
Pos Driver Car Time Gap Laps 1. Alain Menu Chevrolet 1:33.587 16 2. Augusto Farfus BMW 1:33.818 +0.231 31 3. Tom Coronel SEAT 1:33.939 +0.352 25 4. Andy Priaulx BMW 1:34.160 +0.573 29 5. James Thompson Honda 1:34.252 +0.665 19 6. Rickard Rydell SEAT 1:34.257 +0.670 23 7. Robert Dahlgren Volvo 1:34.266 +0.679 17 8. Jorg Muller BMW 1:34.301 +0.714 23 9. Rob Huff Chevrolet 1:34.442 +0.855 20 10. Pierre-Yves Corthals SEAT 1:34.556 +0.969 22 11. Sergio Hernandez BMW 1:34.579 +0.992 26 12. Alex Zanardi BMW 1:34.589 +1.002 30 13. Jordi Gene SEAT 1:34.599 +1.012 21 14. Franz Engstler BMW 1:34.619 +1.032 30 15. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT 1:34.688 +1.101 24 16. Stefano d'Aste BMW 1:34.726 +1.139 29 17. Felix Porteiro BMW 1:34.768 +1.181 19 18. Yvan Muller SEAT 1:34.810 +1.223 27 19. Tiago Monteiro SEAT 1:34.853 +1.266 26 20. Nicola Larini Chevrolet 1:34.910 +1.323 20 21. Kristian Poulson BMW 1:36.012 +2.425 28 22. Ibrahim Okyay BMW 1:36.621 +3.034 28 23. Jaap van Lagen Lada 1:36.624 +3.037 31 24. Lorenco da Veiga SEAT 1:36.867 +3.280 20 25. Viktor Shapovalov Lada 1:38.037 +4.450 26 26. Aytac Biter BMW 1:39.110 +5.523 28
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