Rob Huff fastest in first test session at the Nordschleife

Münnich Motorsport’s Rob Huff was fastest of all in the first 60-minute test session at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, leading the Honda Civic of Norbert Michelisz and the Volvo of Nicky Catsburg by less than a second around the 25km circuit.

Huff set the first competitive benchmark in the session in his Citroën C-Elysée WTCC with a time in the 8:47s, improving to a time of 8:43.511 on his second run.

Points leader Tiago Monteiro then looked set to improve in his Honda Civic after setting the fastest time in the first sector, but then an error in the fourth sector saw him cross the line five seconds back.

Monteiro’s team-mate Norbert Michelisz was next up and went fastest just after the half-way point of th session with a time of 8:41.916, while Volvo’s Nicky Catsburg then went second fastest in the Volvo S60 TC1, dropping Rob Huff to third.

Huff lost a further spot to the rival Citroën of Mehdi Bennani, before Huff went fastest of all on his final flying run with a time of 8:41.255, just over six-tenths of a second faster than Michelisz.

Huff therefore ended the session fastest ahead of Michelisz and Catsburg, with the two Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroëns of Mehdi Benanni and Tom Chilton fourth and fifth quickest.

Tiago Monteiro was sixth in his Honda Civic, with Volvo’s Thed Björk seventh and Tom Coronel the fastest of the Chevrolets in eighth.

Yann Ehrlacher was ninth and the fastest of the Nordschleife rookies in the field, just over seven seconds behind Huff’s time in the RC Motorsport Lada Vesta WTCC, with Esteban Guerrieri completing the top ten, also making his Nordschleife debut.

The next session is the 60-minute Free Practice 1 session at 18:50 CET.