Macau: Series Friday notes

MENU CLOCKS FASTEST TIME IN TESTING

Alain Menu set the fastest lap around the streets of Macau as the 32 WTCC cars hit the track for the test session of the final showdown. The Chevrolet driver clocked a 2:34.389 with eight minutes remaining.

Augusto Farfus was second fastest on the 6.12km circuit for BMW Team Germany. His last lap was completed in 2:34.691 which was 0.028 of a second better than local man Andre Couto"s best effort in his N.technology Alfa Romeo 156.

Andy Priaulx who is jointly topping the championship points was on the crest of the timesheet on three occasions but eventually completed the fourth fastest lap (2:34.814). His BMW colleagues Alessandro Zanardi and Jorg Muller were fifth and sixth fastest respectively.

Co-leader of the championship, Yvan Muller headed a trio of SEAT cars that spanned from seventh to ninth quickest. The Frenchman drove a lap in his Leon in 2:35.608 while Tom Coronel and Rickard Rydell were 0.102 and 0.213 of a second behind him respectively.

Jordi Gene crashed into the barrier at the Reservoir bend on his first flying lap. Red flags were displayed nine minutes into the session as his SEAT Leon was removed from the track.

Other casualties of the challenging course were Russian Andrey Romanov who went off between the Moorish Hill and Dona Maria corners mid-way into the session local racer Ao Chi Hong who spun at the Lisboa Bend after clashing with Duncan Huisman. Miguel Freitas also hit the wall in the same place as Romanov at the end of the session.

Pierre-Yves Corthals was the fastest independent driver with a time of 2:36.717 placing him 13th overall. Luca Rangoni of Proteam Motorsport was close to his rival in 14th while Stefano D'Aste and Franz Engstler followed in 16th and 17th.

-credit: fiawtcc.com