LADA’s Rob Huff posted the fastest time in Friday testing for the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) at the Slovakiaring, ahead of Citroën’s Ma Qing Hua and Campos Racing’s Hugo Valente.
Huff was 0.433 seconds faster than Ma, who is running at 60 kg heavier than the LADA of Huff this weekend, with the Russian car continuing to be the lightest in the field.
Behind Valente in fourth was Honda’s Gabriele Tarquini, with the Italian being the only other driver to be within a second of Huff around the 5.922 km circuit.
Citroën’s Yvan Muller was fifth fastest, ahead of the second works’ Honda of Tiago Monteiro in sixth.
Independent Citroën driver Mehdi Bennani was seventh, beating his team boss Sébastien Loeb, who was just behind in eighth.
Completing the top ten were LADA’s Jaap van Lagen and championship leader José María López, who were both 1.455 seconds off the pace after posting identical lap times.
Two drivers are making their WTCC début’s at the Slovakian round of the WTCC, with Nika Racing’s Argentine Nestor Girolami the fastest of the rookies in 12th. Local driver Mato Homola, stepping in to the third Campos Racing Chevrolet, ended the session in 18th position, 4.776 seconds off the pace.
Session results
| POS | NO | CL | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 12 | 2:04.967 | 0.000 | |
| 2 | 33 | MA Qing Hua |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 11 | 2:05.400 | 0.433 | |
| 3 | 7 | Y | Hugo VALENTE |  |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 9 | 2:05.662 | 0.695 |
| 4 | 2 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
Castrol Honda WTC Team | Honda Civic WTCC | 10 | 2:05.738 | 0.771 | |
| 5 | 68 | Yvan MULLER | |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 10 | 2:06.172 | 1.205 | |
| 6 | 18 | Tiago MONTEIRO |  |
Castrol Honda WTC Team | Honda Civic WTCC | 10 | 2:06.247 | 1.280 | |
| 7 | 25 | Y | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 13 | 2:06.300 | 1.333 |
| 8 | 9 | Sébastien LOEB | |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 11 | 2:06.325 | 1.358 | |
| 9 | 46 | Jaap VAN LAGEN |  |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 10 | 2:06.422 | 1.455 | |
| 10 | 37 | José María LÓPEZ |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 7 | 2:06.422 | 1.455 | |
| 11 | 5 | Y | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
Zengő Motorsport | Honda Civic WTCC | 11 | 2:06.534 | 1.567 |
| 12 | 29 | Néstor GIROLAMI | |
Nika International | Honda Civic WTCC | 11 | 2:06.690 | 1.723 | |
| 13 | 4 | Y | Tom CORONEL | |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 10 | 2:06.838 | 1.871 |
| 14 | 3 | Y | Tom CHILTON | |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 8 | 2:07.271 | 2.304 |
| 15 | 11 | Y | Grégoire DEMOUSTIER | |
Craft-Bamboo Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 11 | 2:07.911 | 2.944 |
| 16 | 10 | Nick CATSBURG | |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 10 | 2:08.361 | 3.394 | |
| 17 | 26 | Y | Stefano D’ASTE | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 11 | 2:08.565 | 3.598 |
| 18 | 70 | Mato HOMOLA |  |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 8 | 2:09.743 | 4.776 | |
| 19 | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 8 | 2:10.673 | 5.706 |