ROUNDS 7 & 8 – PAU, FRANCE
TESTING REPORT
Weather: sunny, with a dry track.
MENU TOPS FRIDAY TESTING
The WTCC field have taken to the streets of Pau for a private
test session. Caution was taken by all and Alain Menu emerged
as the fastest. The Swiss and Yvan Muller swapped the leadership
a few times, until the Chevrolet man set a time of 1:23.588,
which was 0.060 of a second better than his SEAT Sport colleague.
Menu’s team-mate Rob Huff clocked a 1:23.983 which was
third best overall.
Andy Priaulx was the best BMW driver as fourth fastest with
a time of 1:23.882. Fellow BMW man Augusto Farfus slotted
onto the timesheet fifth after his last lap of 1:23.934. Below
the Brazilian were a trio of SEAT drivers. Tiago Monteiro
was sixth fastest overall and Jordi Gené eighth. The
pair was split by independent SEAT Sport Italia driver, Roberto
Colciago who, during the session hit the barrier at Parc Beaumont
while he was on the way to further improve. Gené too
had a mishap after spinning at the Foch bend before rejoining.
James Thompson set the 16th quickest time for N.technology
and Alfa Romeo. His team-mate Olivier Tielemans clashed with
Sergio Hernández from Proteam Motorsport at the Virage
du Lycée but both continued unscathed.
Tom Coronel also strayed from the track during the session
after going straight at the Virage de la Gare but continued.
Miguel Freitas, from Racing for Belgium, did not take part
in the session due to clutch problems.
BULLET NEWS THREE SESSIONS TOMORROW
The FIA WTCC competitors will hit the track three times tomorrow.
The first free practice session will start at 8.45 and end
at 9.15; the second will follow from 11.25 to 11.55.
The qualifying session – extended to 45 minutes –
will start at 15.00 to finish at 15.45.
POLE POSITON TWICE TO THE RIGHT
Unlike the usual procedure, that places pole position on the
inside for the rolling start of the first race, and on the
outside for the standing start of the fist race, in Pau the
pole position will be placed on the inside for both.
THEY SAID, THEY SAID…
Alain MENU
“I’ve raced here three times in the past but it
was such a long time ago I didn’t really remember what
the track and it’s surface were like so today was almost
like starting afresh. I like it here, it’s what I call
a ‘proper track.”
Yvan MULLER
“City circuits are always nice to drive and
Pau especially because I was 18 years old when I first drove
here. It’s my ‘home’ race but it’s
a thousand kilometres away from where I live. For sure, because
we are in France I have a lot more people here to see me.”
Anthony BELTOISE
“In the private testing we had problems with
a tyre, brakes and finally the engine so it’s fair to
say it wasn’t the best way to get to know the car. I
only got to complete two laps. Things with the team are great
though and I have been here many times which helps. Pau is
one of my favourite tracks.”
2007 FIA World Touring Car Championship
TESTING
POS NO CL DRIVER NAT CAR TIME LAPS GAP KPH
1 8 Alain MENU SUI Chevrolet Lacetti 1:23.588 14 118.86
2 12 Yvan MULLER FRA SEAT Leon 1:23.648 12 0.060 118.78
3 6 Robert HUFF GBR Chevrolet Lacetti 1:23.796 14 0.208 118.57
4 1 Andy PRIAULX GBR BMW 320si 1:23.882 18 0.294 118.45
5 3 Augusto FARFUS BRA BMW 320si 1:23.934 16 0.346 118.37
6 18 Tiago MONTEIRO POR SEAT Leon 1:24.011 18 0.423 118.27
7 19 I Roberto COLCIAGO ITA SEAT Leon 1:24.073 15 0.485 118.18
8 9 Jordi GENE ESP SEAT Leon 1:24.152 15 0.564 118.07
9 5 Felix PORTEIRO ESP BMW 320si 1:24.160 18 0.572 118.06
10 2 Jorg MULLER GER BMW 320si 1:24.213 19 0.625 117.98
11 4 Alessandro ZANARDI ITA BMW 320si 1:24.435 17 0.847 117.67
12 30 I Luca RANGONI ITA BMW 320si 1:24.512 19 0.924 117.56
13 11 Gabriele TARQUINI ITA SEAT Leon 1:24.682 17 1.094 117.33
14 7 Nicola LARINI ITA Chevrolet Lacetti 1:24.817 10 1.229
117.14
15 10 Michel JOURDAIN MEX SEAT Leon 1:24.822 15 1.234 117.13
16 15 James THOMPSON GBR Alfa Romeo 156 1:24.902 15 1.314
117.02
17 26 I Stefano D'ASTE ITA BMW 320si 1:25.053 18 1.465 116.82
18 31 I Sergio HERNANDEZ ESP BMW 320si 1:25.336 17 1.748 116.43
19 20 Tom CORONEL NED SEAT Leon 1:25.524 13 1.936 116.17
20 23 I Pierre-Yves CORTHALS BEL SEAT Leon 1:25.543 17 1.955
116.15
21 24 I Anthony BELTOISE FRA SEAT Leon 1:25.634 12 2.046 116.02
22 16 Olivier TIELEMANS NED Alfa Romeo 156 1:25.949 19 2.361
115.60
23 21 I Emmet O'BRIEN IRL SEAT Leon 1:26.671 17 3.083 114.64
24 22 I Maurizio CERESOLI ITA SEAT Leon 1:28.438 17 4.850
112.35
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