Dániel Nagy tops opening TCR Europe practice at Paul Ricard with late effort

BRC Racing Team’s Dániel Nagy posted a late flyer to emerge as the fastest driver in the first TCR Europe series practice session of the 2020 season at Paul Ricard.

The Hungarian driving a Hyundai i30 N TCR left it late to usurp Target Competition’s Andreas Bäckman, who had held the top spot for much of the 35-minute session, by just three-hundredths of a second.

PSS Racing Honda’s guest entry Néstor Girolami was third quickest in his first TCR Europe appearance.

Indeed, Girolami was the first driver to set a properly representative benchmark in the session, posting a time of 2:14.383 but this was quickly beaten by the Team Clairet Sport Peugeot 308TCRs of first Jimmy and then Teddy Clairet.

The times soon began to tumble as rubber was put down on the circuit, with Brutal Fish Racing Team’s Dan Lloyd moving to the top in his Honda Civic Type R TCR.

Last year’s series runner-up Julien Briché had a slow start to the session in his JSB Compétition Peugeot 308TCR, langushing 14th early on.

But the Frenchman, who is joined by his son Florian in the team this season, made progress throughout the session and ended up 9th, while Florian was just outside the top ten in eleventh.

Outside of the top three, Jimmy Clairet was the best of the Peugeots in fourth, ahead of Series newcomer Medhi Bennani’s Comtoyou Racing Audi RS 3 LMS.

Former TCR Germany driver Mike Halder completed his second official TCR Europe appearance with the sixth fastest time in his Profi Car Team Halder Honda Civic Type R TCR.

Lloyd finished seventh fastest, after being unable to improve on his earlier time, while Teddy Clairet faced a similar fate in eighth.

Behind Briché in tenth was the second Audi RS 3 LMS of Sami Taoufik.

Team-mate and sister Michelle was 14th quickest, ahead of Jessica Bäckman’s Target Competition Hyundai i30 N TCR.

The second free practice session at Paul Ricard is scheduled to start later on today at 14:20 CEST.