Menu tops delayed first practice
Alain Menu topped Friday's delayed first test session for this weekend's World Touring Car Championship finale at Macau on Friday
With the timetable put back by 24 hours due to the late arrival of spare parts, the teams managed to fit in their scheduled 30-minute practice session before it got dark.
Menu exchanged the top spot on the timesheets with reigning WTCC champion Andy Priaulx throughout the 30 minutes before there was a spate of quick times late on.
Although the Chevrolet driver kept hold of the top position until the end, Priaulx, who had been second at that point, dropped down the order in the final minute of practice to finish fourth.
He lost a place first to local driver Andre Couto, drafted in by the N.Technology team for this weekend, and the BMW driver then lost another position to title rival Augusto Farfus.
Alex Zanardi ended up fifth, ahead of Jorg Muller, while joint series leader Yvan Muller was seventh.
The session was red flagged once when Jordi Gene crashed at the final corner and his car was left stranded in a dangerous position.
Pos Driver Car Time 1. Alain Menu Chevrolet Lacetti 2:34.389 2. Augusto Farfus BMW 320si +0.302 3. Andre Couto Alfa Romeo 156 +0.330 4. Andy Priaulx BMW 320si +0.425 5. Alessandro Zanardi BMW 320si +0.513 6. Jorg Muller BMW 320si +0.733 7. Yvan Muller SEAT Leon TDI +1.219 8. Tom Coronel SEAT Leon +1.321 9. Rickard Rydell SEAT Leon +1.432 10. Robert Huff Chevrolet Lacetti +1.474 11. Nicola Larini Chevrolet Lacetti +2.177 12. James Thompson Alfa Romeo 156 +2.190 13. Pierre-Yves Corthals SEAT Leon +2.328 14. Luca Rangoni BMW 320si +2.667 15. Duncan Huisman BMW 320si +2.683 16. Stefano D'aste BMW 320si +2.790 17. Franz Engstler BMW 320i +2.924 18. Gabriele Tarquini SEAT Leon TDI +4.000 19. Felix Porteiro BMW 320si +4.095 20. Tiago Monteiro SEAT Leon +4.601 21. Fredrik Ekblom BMW 320si +4.761 22. Michel Jourdain SEAT Leon +5.728 23. Colin Turkington BMW 320si +5.963 24. Henry Lee Jr BMW 320i +6.200 25. Sergio Hernandez BMW 320si +6.407 26. Carl Rosenblad BMW 320si +6.815 27. Miguel Freitas Alfa Romeo 156 +7.627 28. Maurizio Ceresoli SEAT Leon +9.017 29. Ao Chi Hong BMW 320i +16.291 30. David Louie BMW 320i +18.916 31. Andrey Romanov BMW 320i +25.831 32. Jordi Gene SEAT Leon TDI No time
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