Qatar WTCC: Lopez ends Losail test on top
WTCC champion Jose Maria Lopez was fastest in the second session of the day at the Losail circuit in Qatar, which was run under floodlights with the session taking place at 7pm local time.
Jose Maria Lopez, Citroën C-Elysée WTCC, Citroën World Touring Car team
Citroën Communication
The Citroen driver lapped the circuit with a best time of 2:02.170 in the 30-minute session, leading the timesheets throughout as he continued to find time in the car.
Lopez was four tenths of a second faster than Mehdi Bennani in the privateer Citroen C-Elysee WTCC of Sebastien Loeb Racing, with Sebastien Loeb third fastest overall, completing a Citroen 1-2-3.
In fourth place was Munnich Motorsport's Stefano D'Aste, the best placed of the Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1s, with Honda's Gabriele Tarquini in fifth. He was the last driver within a second of Lopez's time.
Nicky Catsburg was the best-placed Lada driver in eighth, while Rob Huff set his first laps after missing the first session due to a gearbox oil leak and was 16th fastest in the sister Lada.
Tiago Monteiro, who missed testing due to a turbo issue, was 12th fastest in the Castrol Honda Civic, while Qatari driver Nasser Al-Attiyah was 17th fastest in the Campos Racing Chevrolet Cruze on his WTCC debut weekend.
There were no incidents or stoppages during the 30-minute session.
Neil Hudson / TouringCarTimes
Pos | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
1 | Jose Maria Lopez | Citroen | 2'02.453 | 10 | |
2 | Mehdi Bennani | Citroen | 2'02.863 | 0.410 | 12 |
3 | Sebastien Loeb | Citroen | 2'03.068 | 0.615 | 11 |
4 | Stefano D'Aste | Chevrolet | 2'03.300 | 0.847 | 12 |
5 | G.Tarquini | Honda | 2'03.353 | 0.900 | 11 |
6 | Hugo Valente | Chevrolet | 2'03.492 | 1.039 | 10 |
7 | N.Michelisz | Honda | 2'03.514 | 1.061 | 10 |
8 | Nicky Catsburg | Lada | 2'03.538 | 1.085 | 12 |
9 | Yvan Muller | Citroen | 2'03.546 | 1.093 | 11 |
10 | Nicolas Lapierre | Lada | 2'03.569 | 1.116 | 12 |
11 | Ma Qing Hua | Citroen | 2'03.705 | 1.252 | 9 |
12 | Tiago Monteiro | Honda | 2'03.719 | 1.266 | 12 |
13 | John Filippi | Chevrolet | 2'04.136 | 1.683 | 10 |
14 | Tom Chilton | Chevrolet | 2'04.315 | 1.862 | 10 |
15 | Tom Coronel | Chevrolet | 2'04.321 | 1.868 | 11 |
16 | Rob Huff | Lada | 2'04.385 | 1.932 | 11 |
17 | N.Al-Attiyah | Chevrolet | 2'04.445 | 1.992 | 11 |
18 | G.Demoustier | Chevrolet | 2'04.739 | 2.286 | 11 |
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