italiaspeed.com: 2005 FIA World Touring Car Championship

Thirty four drivers took part in the first day of the official FIA World Touring Car Championship testing at Monza earlier today. Brazilian Augusto Farfus in the N.technology-run Alfa Romeo 156 topped all of the three test sessions; his fastest time of the day being set in the first morning session before rain soaked the track completely.

Also in the morning's first session BMW Team UK driver Andy Priaulx and Farfus' Alfa Romeo team mate Gianni Morbidelli set the second and third quickest laps of the day. Testing will continue tomorrow with another three one-hour sessions at the Italian track which will play host to the first round of the 2006 FIA World Touring Car Championship at the beginning of next month.

Day 1 - Sessions 2 & 3

The final two official test sessions of the day were completed in wet conditions in Monza. Despite the rain, times continued to fall throughout the day with the final session being the fastest overall. The best time in this session was set by once again by Farfus. Behind him was Robert Huff in the Chevrolet Lacetti, just 0.226 off the top time. The third best lap was completed by by Roberto Colciago who shared the JAS Motorsport Honda Accord for the day with Pierre-Yves Corthals. Huff’s best lap was later deleted for cutting the second chicane.

Dirk Müller set the fastest time of the BMW runners in this final session with a lap of 2:14.156, leaving him in 4th place overall, while reigning champion Andy Priaulx was one place behind. Former Alfa Romeo factory driver Gabriele Tarquini improved dramatically on his morning outing to post the 7th best time overall. Fellow SEAT Sport drivers' Peter Terting and James Thompson, the latter another Alfa Romeo refugee, occupied 9th and 10th spots respectively. At GR Asia Maurizio Ceresoli took the wheel of the team’s SEAT Toledo, while his Dutch team-mate Tom Coronel is due to replace him tomorrow.