DG Sport Compétition’s Mat’o Homola secured pole position for the third time this season in qualifying for the TCR International Series in Thailand, ahead of Craft-Bamboo Racing’s James Nash and M1RA’s Norbert Michelisz.
Homola posted the fastest time straight out of the blocks in the second Q2 segment of qualifying, putting his Opel at the front with a time of 1 minute 43.093 seconds.
Just like in the earlier Q1 session, Q2 had to be stopped half-way through when the Ge-Force Alfa Romeo of Davit Kajaia stopped on the circuit at Turn 4 with smoke billowing from under the bonnet.
When the action resumed no one was able to better Homola’s time, giving him another pole ahead of Nash, who improved his lap time on his final run but couldn’t quite get close enough to the leading Opel, missing out by a mere 0.004 seconds.
M1RA’s Michelisz, who earlier set the pace in Q1, was third quickest, ahead of championship leader Jean-Karl Vernay in fourth and M1RA’s own title contender Attila Tassi in fifth.
Pepe Oriola put his Craft-Bamboo SEAT in sixth, ahead of the third M1RA Honda of Giacomo Altoè in seventh.
New WestCoast Racing signing Kantadhee Kusiri was eighth fastest on his first outing in the International Series this season, whilst Comtoyou Racing’s Stefano Comini and Boutsen-Ginion Racing’s Aurélien Panis completed the top ten.
Panis will not start race one from that position though, as the Frenchman will be sent to the back for the grid for Sunday’s first race due to an engine change in his Honda.
Dušan Borković had set the early pace in Q1, but the Ge-Force driver then clipped a tyre stack on the inside of Turn 1 just after his flying lap, damaging the front-right suspension on his Alfa Romeo.
As a result the Serbian driver didn’t take any further part in the session, and he was later denied entry into Q2 for having received outside assistance in Q1 as his car was brought back to the pits for repairs.
Initially missing out on the cut for Q2 behind team-mate Kusiri was WestCoast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli in 13th, although the Italian was later allowed to take part in Q2 due to Borković’s demise.
Nevertheless, qualifying in 11th and just missing out on the reverse grid will come as a huge disappointment for the 30 kg of ballast-laden Morbidelli, who dominated the last meeting at Oschersleben in Germany with a pole and two wins.
Dan Lloyd could only manage 14th in his Craft-Bamboo Racing SEAT, ahead of Comtoyou’s Frédéric Vervisch in 15th and the second Leopard car of Rob Huff in 16th, who continued to struggle with the handling of his car as he ran wide throughout the session, resulting in at least one lap time being deleted for exceeding track limits.
Munkong Satheinthirakul was the leading local driver in 17th in his DG Sport Compétition Opel, ahead of TCR International regular Duncan Ende in 18th.
Chariya Nuya was the leading TCR Thailand driver in 19th in his Billionaire Boys Racing Honda.
Q2 results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 5 | 1:43.093 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 54 | James NASH |  |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 5 | 1:43.097 | 0.004 |
| 3 | 59 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 5 | 1:43.228 | 0.135 |
| 4 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 5 | 1:43.320 | 0.227 |
| 5 | 9 | Attila TASSI | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 5 | 1:43.331 | 0.238 |
| 6 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 5 | 1:43.384 | 0.291 |
| 7 | 21 | Giacomo ALTOÈ |  |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 5 | 1:43.503 | 0.410 |
| 8 | 19 | Kantadhee KUSIRI |  |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 5 | 1:43.561 | 0.468 |
| 9 | 1 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 5 | 1:43.695 | 0.602 |
| 10 | 28 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 5 | 1:43.743 | 0.650 |
| 11 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 5 | 1:44.064 | 0.971 |
| 12 | 16 | Davit KAJAIA |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 2 | No time | N/A |
Q1 results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 59 | Norbert MICHELISZ | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 6 | 1:43.315 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA | |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 8 | 1:43.350 | 0.035 |
| 3 | 9 | Attila TASSI | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 7 | 1:43.365 | 0.050 |
| 4 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 8 | 1:43.447 | 0.132 |
| 5 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 7 | 1:43.478 | 0.163 |
| 6 | 21 | Giacomo ALTOÈ | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 7 | 1:43.500 | 0.185 |
| 7 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 3 | 1:43.631 | 0.316 |
| 8 | 54 | James NASH | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 8 | 1:43.672 | 0.357 |
| 9 | 16 | Davit KAJAIA | |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 8 | 1:43.696 | 0.381 |
| 10 | 28 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 9 | 1:43.813 | 0.498 |
| 11 | 1 | Stefano COMINI | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 9 | 1:43.874 | 0.559 |
| 12 | 19 | Kantadhee KUSIRI | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:43.936 | 0.621 |
| 13 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 1:44.226 | 0.911 |
| 14 | 17 | Daniel LLOYD | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 8 | 1:44.246 | 0.931 |
| 15 | 6 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 10 | 1:44.316 | 1.001 |
| 16 | 3 | Rob HUFF | |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:44.321 | 1.006 |
| 17 | 67 | Munkong SATHIENTHIRAKUL | |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 9 | 1:44.870 | 1.555 |
| 18 | 18 | Duncan ENDE |  |
Icarus Motorsports | SEAT León TCR | 9 | 1:45.068 | 1.753 |
| 19 | 85 | Chariya NUYA | |
Billionaire Boys Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 9 | 1:45.082 | 1.767 |
| 20 | 96 | Nattanid LEEWATTANAVARAGUL | |
Morin Racing Team | SEAT León TCR DSG | 10 | 1:46.061 | 2.746 |
| 21 | 84 | Pasarit PROMSOMBAT | |
RMI Racing Team by Sunoco | SEAT León TCR DSG | 9 | 1:46.098 | 2.783 |
| 22 | 83 | Rattanin LEENUTAPHONG | |
Yontrakit Racing Team | SEAT León TCR DSG | 10 | 1:46.900 | 3.585 |
| 23 | 86 | Nattachak HANJITKASEN | |
TBN MK Ihere Racing Team | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 9 | 1:47.055 | 3.740 |
| 24 | 65 | Douglas KHOO Kok Hui |  |
Viper Niza Racing | SEAT León TCR | 9 | 1:51.876 | 8.561 |