Photo: WTCR

René Rast tops mixed conditions first practice at the Nürburgring

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Reigning DTM champion René Rast set the fastest lap in the first 40-minute practice session at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, in a session where the rain began to fall as soon as it started, with Rast’s first lap setting the benchmark.

Rast’s best time of 9:29.163 in the wild card entry by Team WRT was 26 seconds from Andreas Gülden’s lap record set in the Nürburgring 24-hour practice race last month in a Hyundai i30 N TCR, with the conditions on the Nordschleife seeing cars set times almost a further two minutes slower later in the session.

There was trouble for the Team WRT Audi of Gordon Shedden in the session, as the Scotsman crashed out as soon as he ventured onto the Nordschleife and damaged the Audi RS 3 LMS’s suspension, with Shedden then spending the rest of the session crabbing around the 25km track to get back to the pit lane.

There were no further improvements during the remainder of the session, with cars continuing to lap the circuit to adjust to the conditions and for track familiarisation.

There was further drama when Zsolt Szabo crashed out with two minutes left on the clock in his Zengõ Motorsport Cupra TCR at Hohe Acht, significantly damaging the left-hand side of his car breaking its suspension.

Rast ended up on top ahead of the two Sébastien Loeb Racing Volkswagens of Rob Huff and Mehdi Bennani, with Jean-Karl Vernay fourth fastest in the WRT Audi, with Campos Cupra driver Pepe Oriola completing the top ten.

There is just a 20-minute break between the first and second 40-minute free practice sessions, with Free Practice 2 set to start at 12:30 CET.