Honda led the way on the first day of running at the World Touring Car Championship season finale in Macau, with Gabriele Tarquini topping the first practice session.
The Italian veteran was six tenths of a second clear of factory team-mate Tiago Monteiro. Within a tenth of Monteiro’s time were world champion Jose Maria Lopez in his Citroen, and the Zengo-run Civic of Norbert Michelisz.
Pepe Oriola impressed on his first day back in the WTCC this year with the fifth best time, having taken over Dusan Borkovic‘s Campos Racing Chevrolet after the Serbian was forced out by a hand injury.
Sebastien Loeb was sixth ahead of six-time Macau winner Rob Huff. Mehdi Bennani was eighth, followed by Yvan Muller and Ma Qing Hua.
Michelisz topped the earlier test session that kicked off proceedings in Macau, ahead of Muller, Lopez, Bennani and Loeb.
