Yvan Muller set the pace in first practice for the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) around the streets of Vila Real, which was red-flagged just before the end after Gabriele Tarquini crashed into the back of Tom Chilton.
Muller posted the fastest lap in the closing minutes of the half-hour session to deny Citroën team-mate José María López the quickest lap by just 0.084 seconds. López had earlier posted his time in the first eight minutes of the session and remained on top for the majority of first practice.
Zengő Motorsport’s Norbert Michelisz was the best of the Honda drivers in third, splitting the works’ Citroën cars, just 0.160 seconds off the pace after improving in the closing minutes.
Sébastien Loeb and Ma Qing Hua put their Citroëns in fourth and fifth, ahead of works’ Honda duo Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro in sixth and seventh, who were the last two drivers within a second of the pace.
Tarquini brought out the red flags with just ten seconds remaining on the clock when he went into the back of Chilton, damaging the front of the Civic and sending Chilton sideways into the tyre barrier.
Nika Racing’s Néstor Girolami was eighth fastest, ahead of the top Chevrolet of Campos Racing’s Hugo Valente in ninth and the independent Citroën of Mehdi Bennani in tenth.
LADA struggled for pace during the session, with Brit Rob Huff the quickest of the Vesta drivers in 11th, 1.935 seconds off the pace, ahead of team-mates Jaap van Lagen in 12th and Nicky Catsburg in 13th.
The timesheets were propped up by the RML Chevrolet drivers, with Stefano D’Aste leading the way in 14th position, 2.570 seconds off the top time.
Second practice takes place at 12:20 BST (1£:20 CEST) following a delay to the Saturday timetable.
Session results
| POS | NO | CL | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 68 | Yvan MULLER |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 9 | 2:00.749 | 0.000 | |
| 2 | 37 | José María LÓPEZ |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 8 | 2:00.833 | 0.084 | |
| 3 | 5 | Y | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
Zengő Motorsport | Honda Civic WTCC | 9 | 2:00.909 | 0.160 |
| 4 | 9 | Sébastien LOEB | |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 9 | 2:00.964 | 0.215 | |
| 5 | 33 | MA Qing Hua |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 10 | 2:01.353 | 0.604 | |
| 6 | 2 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
Castrol Honda WTC Team | Honda Civic WTCC | 9 | 2:01.399 | 0.650 | |
| 7 | 18 | Tiago MONTEIRO |  |
Castrol Honda WTC Team | Honda Civic WTCC | 9 | 2:01.527 | 0.778 | |
| 8 | 29 | Néstor GIROLAMI | |
Nika International | Honda Civic WTCC | 9 | 2:01.799 | 1.050 | |
| 9 | 7 | Y | Hugo VALENTE | |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 10 | 2:02.057 | 1.308 |
| 10 | 25 | Y | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 9 | 2:02.551 | 1.802 |
| 11 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 10 | 2:02.684 | 1.935 | |
| 12 | 46 | Jaap VAN LAGEN |  |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 10 | 2:02.809 | 2.060 | |
| 13 | 10 | Nick CATSBURG | |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 10 | 2:03.289 | 2.540 | |
| 14 | 26 | Y | Stefano D’ASTE | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 10 | 2:03.319 | 2.570 |
| 15 | 4 | Y | Tom CORONEL | |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 9 | 2:03.888 | 3.139 |
| 16 | 27 | Y | John FILIPPI | |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 10 | 2:05.192 | 4.443 |
| 17 | 3 | Y | Tom CHILTON | |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 8 | 2:05.399 | 4.650 |
| 18 | 11 | Grégoire DEMOUSTIER | |
Craft-Bamboo Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 11 | 2:07.581 | 6.832 |