Championship leader Mikel Azcona capitalised on improving conditions at a damp Hungaroring to secure pole for the opening TCR Europe race of the weekend.
Home racer Attila Tassi had held provisional pole for the majority of the second qualifying session, but a late effort by Azcona gave him the top spot with a lap 0.453s clear of his nearest rival.
Tassi’s Hell Energy Racing with KCMG stable-mate Josh Files would complete the top-three with an effort seven tenths off pole position.
Dušan Borković, who sits second in the points standings, was the fastest of the Hyundais in fourth, ahead of Target Competition teammate Reece Barr.
In sixth position was Hungarian racer Ferenc Ficza in his Zengo Motorsport CUPRA, ahead of fellow countryman Dániel Nagy, who had topped Q1.
The Peugeot effort was led by Francisco Abreu in eighth, ahead of the second 308 TCR of Julien Briché, with Francisco Mora rounding out the top ten, meaning he will start tomorrow’s race from reverse-grid pole.
The session had begun in wet conditions, but improved towards the end of Q1, and a prominent dry line had formed by the conclusion of Q2.
In Qualifying 1, a few drivers were caught out by slippy conditions, particularly at Turns 11 and 12, but no serious stoppage to the session occured.
2017 TCR International Series champion Jean-Karl Vernay struggled, saving a slide at Turn 4 and a lock up at Turn 2, and could only manage 22nd fastest.
A number of drivers also had times disallowed in Q1 for exceeding track limits, most commonly at Turn 4, including Jens Reno Møller, Francisco Mora, Daniel Nagy and Stian Paulsen.
Race one of the weekend gets underway at 13:40 CEST (12:40 BST).
Q2 results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 25 | Mikel AZCONA |  |
PCR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 4 | 2:05.652 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 5 | 2:06.105 | 0.453 |
| 3 | 99 | Josh FILES |  |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 5 | 2:06.393 | 0.741 |
| 4 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 5 | 2:06.445 | 0.793 |
| 5 | 8 | Reece BARR |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 4 | 2:06.893 | 1.241 |
| 6 | 55 | Ferenc FICZA | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR DSG | 5 | 2:07.040 | 1.388 |
| 7 | 999 | Dániel NAGY | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 4 | 2:07.220 | 1.568 |
| 8 | 23 | Francisco ABREU |  |
Sports & You | Peugeot 308 TCR | 5 | 2:07.221 | 1.569 |
| 9 | 4 | Julien BRICHÉ |  |
JSB Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 4 | 2:07.244 | 1.592 |
| 10 | 26 | Francisco MORA | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 4 | 2:07.284 | 1.632 |
| 11 | 14 | Loris CENCETTI |  |
Autodis Racing by THX | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 5 | 2:07.827 | 2.175 |
| 12 | 34 | Stian PAULSEN |  |
Stian Paulsen Racing | CUPRA TCR | 4 | 2:07.983 | 2.331 |
Q1 results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 999 | Dániel NAGY | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 10 | 2:07.368 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 26 | Francisco MORA | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 10 | 2:07.979 | 0.611 |
| 3 | 23 | Francisco ABREU | |
Sports & You | Peugeot 308 TCR | 9 | 2:08.131 | 0.763 |
| 4 | 8 | Reece BARR | |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 10 | 2:08.295 | 0.927 |
| 5 | 14 | Loris CENCETTI | |
Autodis Racing by THX | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 8 | 2:08.300 | 0.932 |
| 6 | 9 | Attila TASSI | |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 9 | 2:08.331 | 0.963 |
| 7 | 99 | Josh FILES | |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 8 | 2:08.357 | 0.989 |
| 8 | 4 | Julien BRICHÉ | |
JSB Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 10 | 2:08.626 | 1.258 |
| 9 | 55 | Ferenc FICZA | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR DSG | 8 | 2:09.001 | 1.633 |
| 10 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ | |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 10 | 2:09.117 | 1.749 |
| 11 | 34 | Stian PAULSEN | |
Stian Paulsen Racing | CUPRA TCR | 9 | 2:09.147 | 1.779 |
| 12 | 25 | Mikel AZCONA | |
PCR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 10 | 2:09.234 | 1.866 |
| 13 | 94 | Kris RICHARD |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 10 | 2:09.282 | 1.914 |
| 14 | 38 | Danny KROES |  |
PCR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 9 | 2:09.337 | 1.969 |
| 15 | 20 | Márk JEDLÓCZKY | |
JLG Sport | CUPRA TCR | 8 | 2:09.840 | 2.472 |
| 16 | 11 | Jens Reno MØLLER |  |
Reno Racing | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 10 | 2:09.885 | 2.517 |
| 17 | 7 | Igor STEFANOVSKI |  |
Stefanovski Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 9 | 2:09.974 | 2.606 |
| 18 | 17 | Martin RYBA |  |
Brutal Fish Racing Team | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 2:10.105 | 2.737 |
| 19 | 88 | Maxime POTTY |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 2:10.123 | 2.755 |
| 20 | 13 | Cedric PIRO |  |
Autodis Racing by Piro Sports | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 9 | 2:10.200 | 2.832 |
| 21 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 9 | 2:10.676 | 3.308 |
| 22 | 42 | Stefano COMINI | |
Autodis Racing by THX | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 7 | 2:11.359 | 3.991 |
| 23 | 10 | Viktor DAVIDOVSKY | |
PSS Racing Team | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 10 | 2:12.045 | 4.677 |
| 24 | 21 | Marie BAUS-COPPENS | |
JSB Compétition | CUPRA TCR DSG | 10 | 2:12.507 | 5.139 |