Attila Tassi fastest in final practice at the Rustavi circuit
17-year-old Attila Tassi continued Hungary’s run at the top of the practice sessions in Georgia, as the M1RA Honda driver topped the final practice session, only challenged at the last minute by WRT Volkswagen driver Jean-Karl Vernay.
Local hero Davit Kajaia set the early pace in the GE-Force Alfa, before Ferenc Ficza reproduced his earlier form in the Zele Racing SEAT to go fastest just after the half-way mark in the session.
Tassi however would break the 1:42 barrier with just under ten minutes to go in his Honda Civic TCR, at the time over half a second faster than the rest of the field with a time of 1:41.516.
Frenchman Jean-Karl Vernay would gain on the Hungarian, going just 16-hundredths slower in the Team WRT Volkswagen Golf, leaving Ficza down in third position.
Kajaia would end up fourth, while Tassi’s more experienced team-mate Roberto Colciago was fifth fastest in the second Honda.
Pepe Oriola was the best-placed of the three Craft-Bamboo SEATs in sixth, while Mat’o Homola continued to improve in the DG Sport Opel Astra, setting the seventh fastest time, just over a second down on Tassi.
Hugo Valente for Craft-Bamboo SEAT, Giacomo Altoe for WestCoast Racing and the third Craft-Bamboo SEAT of James Nash completed the top ten.
A number of regular front runners didn’t make the top ten, including WestCoast Volkswagen driver Gianni Morbidelli in 11th, and two-time champion Stefano Comini, whose Audi RS 3 was 13th fastest.
The next session is qualifying, which starts at 15:00 GET (13:00 CET).
