Citroën’s José María López posted the fastest time in Friday testing for the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) around the streets of Portuguese town Vila Real, ahead of Zengő Motorsport’s Norbert Michelisz.
López posted the fastest time of the interrupted test session in the closing seconds, ousting Michelisz from the top time with a lap of 2:01.455. Michelisz had just minutes earlier gone fastest, but the Honda driver ended up 0.814 seconds off the pace.
The session was interrupted for around 20 minutes at the half-way stage when issues with the temporary street circuit arose and needed to be fixed.
Citroën title contenders Yvan Muller and Sébastien Loeb were third and fourth fastest respectively, with the French duo over a second slower than team-mate López.
Independent Citroën racer Mehdi Bennani made it four C-Elysée’s in the top five in his Sébastien Loeb Racing prepared car, ahead of the top works Honda of Gabriele Tarquini in sixth, with the Italian being over two seconds off the pace.
Campos Racing’s Hugo Valente was the top Chevrolet driver in seventh, ahead of local racer Tiago Monteiro in eighth.
Néstor Girolami was ninth quickest in his Nika Racing prepared Honda, with the Argentine competing in only his second WTCC event. Citroën’s Ma Qing Hua completed the top ten.
Session results
| POS | NO | CL | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 37 | José María LÓPEZ |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 11 | 2:01.455 | 0.000 | |
| 2 | 5 | Y | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
Zengő Motorsport | Honda Civic WTCC | 12 | 2:02.269 | 0.814 |
| 3 | 68 | Yvan MULLER |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 12 | 2:02.819 | 1.364 | |
| 4 | 9 | Sébastien LOEB | |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 11 | 2:02.920 | 1.465 | |
| 5 | 25 | Y | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 12 | 2:03.371 | 1.916 |
| 6 | 2 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
Castrol Honda WTC Team | Honda Civic WTCC | 12 | 2:03.639 | 2.184 | |
| 7 | 7 | Y | Hugo VALENTE | |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 12 | 2:03.899 | 2.444 |
| 8 | 18 | Tiago MONTEIRO |  |
Castrol Honda WTC Team | Honda Civic WTCC | 13 | 2:04.205 | 2.750 | |
| 9 | 29 | Néstor GIROLAMI | |
Nika International | Honda Civic WTCC | 12 | 2:04.851 | 3.396 | |
| 10 | 33 | MA Qing Hua |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 12 | 2:04.892 | 3.437 | |
| 11 | 4 | Y | Tom CORONEL |  |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 11 | 2:05.375 | 3.920 |
| 12 | 46 | Jaap VAN LAGEN | |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 10 | 2:05.931 | 4.476 | |
| 13 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 12 | 2:06.202 | 4.747 | |
| 14 | 10 | Nick CATSBURG | |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 11 | 2:06.423 | 4.968 | |
| 15 | 26 | Y | Stefano D’ASTE | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 11 | 2:06.538 | 5.083 |
| 16 | 3 | Y | Tom CHILTON | |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 11 | 2:06.945 | 5.490 |
| 17 | 27 | Y | John FILIPPI | |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 10 | 2:08.620 | 7.165 |
| 18 | 11 | Grégoire DEMOUSTIER | |
Craft-Bamboo Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 10 | 2:10.498 | 9.043 |