Hyundai’s Gabriele Tarquini set the pace in second practice for the TCR Europe Trophy at the Adria International Raceway, as the Italian saw off a challenge from Target Competition duo Josh Files and Giacomo Altoè.
Tin-top expert Tarquini got to the top of the times at the half-way stage of the session, putting in a time of 1 minute 20.260 seconds to go around three tenths slower than the best time in the morning’s foggy first session.
Brit Files improved inside the final five minutes of the half-hour session to take second, a mere 0.003 seconds slower than Tarquini, whilst the session’s early pace-setter, 17-year-old Altoè, ended up in third behind his fellow Honda racer Files.
Luca Engstler was the leading Volkswagen driver in fourth, ahead of V-Action Racing’s Luigi Ferrara in fifth after a strong performance in the Alfa Romeo.
The second Liqui Moly Team Engstler Volkswagen of Florian Thoma was sixth quickest, just over half a second off the pace.
Plamen Kralev, who is perhaps better known for competing in the ETCC, was a strong seventh in his Audi RS3, with the 44-year-old Bulgarian only completing five laps in the session.
Maxime Potty had been the early session pace-setter, but the Belgian ended up in eighth in his WRT-run Volkswagen, ahead of circuit owner Giovanni Altoè in ninth.
TCR Iberico champion Francisco Abreu rounded out the top ten, just under a second off the pace.
Russian racer Denis Girogoriev caused a short yellow-flag period when he spun his SEAT León into the gravel at Turn 9 with 12 minutes left in the session, requiring a recovery vehicle to remove the stranded car.
Qualifying is scheduled to take place at 15:00 CEST (14:00 BST).
Session results
POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
1 | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI | ![]() |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 8 | 1:20.260 | 0.000 |
2 | 99 | Josh FILES | ![]() |
Target Competition | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 11 | 1:20.263 | 0.003 |
3 | 21 | Giacomo ALTOÈ | ![]() |
Target Competition | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 11 | 1:20.393 | 0.133 |
4 | 8 | Luca ENGSTLER | ![]() |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 1:20.523 | 0.263 |
5 | 16 | Luigi FERRARA | ![]() |
V-Action Racing Team | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 16 | 1:20.529 | 0.269 |
6 | 39 | Florian THOMA | ![]() |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:20.779 | 0.519 |
7 | 44 | Plamen KRALEV | ![]() |
Kraf Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 5 | 1:20.870 | 0.610 |
8 | 88 | Maxime POTTY | ![]() |
WRT Racing Team | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:20.965 | 0.705 |
9 | 52 | Givoanni ALTOÈ | ![]() |
Giovanni Altoè | Volkswagen Golf GTi DSG | 11 | 1:21.144 | 0.884 |
10 | 11 | Francisco ABREU | ![]() |
Team NOVADRIVER | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:21.183 | 0.923 |
11 | 7 | Aurélien COMTE | ![]() |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 Racing Cup | 17 | 1:21.222 | 0.962 |
12 | 10 | Antti BURI | ![]() |
LMS Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 10 | 1:21.443 | 1.183 |
13 | 5 | Kevin GIACON | ![]() |
Teconodom | Opel Astra TCR | 10 | 1:21.758 | 1.498 |
14 | 77 | Denis GRIGORIEV | ![]() |
Innocenti – AMG Motorsport | SEAT León TCR DSG | 8 | 1:22.222 | 1.962 |
15 | 53 | Sandro PELATTI | ![]() |
Sandro Pelatti | Volkswagen Golf GTi DSG | 16 | 1:22.237 | 1.977 |
16 | 15 | Lev TOLKACHEV | ![]() |
Innocenti – AMG Motorsport | SEAT León TCR DSG | 12 | 1:22.657 | 2.397 |
17 | 4 | Olli KANGAS | ![]() |
LMS Racing | SEAT León TCR | 14 | 1:22.666 | 2.406 |
18 | 54 | Ermanno DIONISIO | ![]() |
Ermanno Dionisio | Audi RS3 LMS TCR DSG | 11 | 1:22.852 | 2.592 |
19 | 76 | Daniele CAPPELLARI | ![]() |
Daniele Cappellari | SEAT León TCR DSG | 16 | 1:23.810 | 3.550 |
20 | 55 | Giovanni BERTON | ![]() |
Giovanni Berton | Audi RS3 LMS TCR DSG | 0 | No Time | N/A |