Photo: Auto GP
Championship frontrunners Kimiya Sato and Markus Pommer were fastest in the two practice sessions of the Auto GP weekend at Imola.
In the morning Pommer confidently took the first place, beating Sato and teammate Michela Cerruti by three and eight tenths respectively, while race-winner Kevin Giovesi and series returnee, 2012 vice-champion Pal Varhaug completed the top five.
The second outing saw the leading duo swapping positions as the Japanese set the overall fastest time of the day. Giovesi, Cerruti and Varhaug once again filled the top five positions. As a result, the combined results also start with these drivers in the order of Sato, Pommer, Giovesi, Cerruti and Varhaug.
Virtuosi’s Andrea Roda and Zele’s Christof von Grunigen took sixth and seventh respectively, followed by Francesco Dracone.
Reigning champion Vittorio Ghirelli, taking part in his second Auto GP event of this season, was ninth fastest, while the top ten was completed by Michele La Rosa. Ghirelli has joined Giovesi at FMS Racing, which is the third banner that the former Eurotech squad has gone under this season.
Giuseppe Cipriani was eleventh, while Tamas Pal Kiss had to settle with twelfth?after problems with the engine of his car, as the field was rounded out by newcomer Italian Salvatore Deplano.
Combined practice results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Session 1 | Session 2 |
| 1 | Kimiya Sato | Euronova Racing | 1:32.761 | 1:32.349 |
| 2 | Markus Pommer | Super Nova International | 1:32.380 | 1:32.401 |
| 3 | Kevin Giovesi | FMS Racing | 1:33.374 | 1:32.728 |
| 4 | Michela Cerruti | Super Nova International | 1:33.237 | 1:33.351 |
| 5 | Pal Varhaug | Virtuosi UK | 1:33.481 | 1:33.330 |
| 6 | Andrea Roda | Virtuosi UK | 1:34.039 | 1:33.539 |
| 7 | Christof von Grunigen | Zele Racing | 1:34.020 | 1:33.873 |
| 8 | Francesco Dracone | Super Nova International | 1:34.997 | 1:34.185 |
| 9 | Vittorio Ghirelli | FMS Racing | 1:42.034 | 1:34.473 |
| 10 | Michele La Rosa | MLR71 | 1:35.654 | 1:34.684 |
| 11 | Giuseppe Cipriani | Ibiza Racing | 1:34.727 | 1:34.805 |
| 12 | Tamas Pal Kiss | Zele Racing | 1:35.254 | 1:42.236 |
| 13 | Salvatore Deplano | Euronova Racing | 1:43.457 | 1:39.757 |