Asian Motor Sports

BMW-man Augusto Farfus Jr started the last race weekend of the FIA World Touring Car Championship season 2008 fastest.

Farfus lapped the legendary street track in 2:33.624 during the very last minute of the session. Second fastest, and very close to Farfus, was James Thompson - eight hundredths of a second behind. Chevrolet’s Nicola Larini was almost equally close, a further eight hundredths of a second behind.

Fourth was Félix Porteiro, who moments before the session end was fastest, with the time 2:33.815.

Title rivals and team mates Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini followed each other closely in seventh and eight respectively.

The field was close during the first test and top twelve was within eight tenths of a second.

Best independents driver was, soon to be champion, Sergio Hernández in 16th, one tenths faster than rival Franz Engstler. Macau-expert André Couto was 18th fastest in his N-Technology Honda Accord.

UPDATE: Farfus fastest on Friday morning.

Augusto Farfus topped the times in Friday morning’s free practice session for the World Touring Car Championship finale in Macau, as BMW look set to upstage the title battle between SEAT’s Yvan Muller and Gabriele Tarquini.

Farfus proved that his German manufacturer will likely be the marque to beat around the famous Guia streets as he just edged out his teammate Jorg Muller.

Muller had been fastest in the early stages of the session before a lengthy red flag stoppage, caused when independent runner Sergio Hernandez clouted the wall at Faraway after getting out of shape on the entry to the sequence of bends.

His Proteam car was left stranded on the track and race officials felt it was too dangerous for the session to continue without it being retrieved.

After a delay, the session resumed with Chevrolet’s Nicola Larini briefly topping the timesheet, before first Muller and then Farfus set the quickest times in the closing minutes. In the end, the two BMW drivers were separated by 0.234s.

N.Technology’s James Thompson maintained the strong form he showed on Thursday to set the third quickest time.

Championship leader Yvan Muller was fourth fastest and happy with how his session had gone as he focuses his efforts on the title.

“The car feels very good,” said Muller. “We are taking things step by step and not taking any risks. Of course I have to be conservative this weekend. I am not here to win the race, I am here to win the championship.”

Outgoing WTCC champion Andy Priaulx was fifth fastest after a quick lap late on, with Larini sixth ahead of Menu and the other title contender, SEAT’s Gabriele Tarquini.