New Subaru WRX runs well in Thailand before gearbox sensor issue

Top Run Motorsport’s brand new Subaru WRX STi TCR completed 11 laps in testing today at the Chang International Circuit at Buriram, before a gearbox sensor issue sidelined driver Luigi Ferrari for the last three hours of the session.

The car was running respectable lap times on its first outing, with a car which is a completely new-build compared to the car which Top Run used at the end of last season and during the first two rounds of 2016.

“We had a problem with the gearbox sensor so we had to stop practice,” said Top Run Motorsport team manager Renato Russo to TouringCarTimes.

“The car in the beginning was OK, but then the wiring of the sensor which is inside the gearbox broke. It’s a really little thing but we had to dismantle the gearbox and find out what was going wrong, so we’ll try to fix it and we’ll hopefully be out tomorrow.”

The car’s best lap was a 1:48.326, at that time 2.5 seconds off the pace of WestCoast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli, with 11 laps successfully set over two stints.

“When it was running it was OK. It’s (Luigi’s) first time here in Buriram so he was just taking a bit of time to get confident with the circuit, but then little things like this happen.”