An early flyer from Hell Energy with KCMG’s Attila Tassi proved enough to head up the timesheets in the second TCR Europe practice session in Barcelona.
The Hungarian shattered Mikel Aczona’s morning benchmark by the best part of a second on his first flying lap in the Honda Civic Type R with a 1:54.273, and from thereon in would never be headed.
The session was briefly paused whilst Martin Ryba’s Volkswagen Golf GTI was recovered after sliding into the gravel at Turn 3, causing a red flag.
Julien Briche’s Peugeot 308 TCR came closest to stopping Tassi, improving after the stoppage to within 0.161 seconds of the 2017 TCR International Vice-Champion.
Kris Richard led the Target Competition charge in 3rd, with team mate Dusan Borkovic fifth behind the WRT-run Audi RS 3 LMS of Jean-Karl Vernay.
With multiple TCR Champion Josh Files behind in the second KCMG machine, the two teams set to fight for the Teams’ title at the 2.8 mile Catalan circuit this weekend look closely matched heading into qualifying.
Mikel Azcona’s weekend should prove simpler, with the Spaniard 19 points clear in the overall title race, but the FP1 pace-setter could only manage seventh in the CUPRA.
TCR Benelux points leader Maxime Potty was next as the leading VW, with Norbert Michelisz improving from his morning performance to claim ninth in the M1RA-run Hyundai i30 N TCR.
2017 British Touring Car Champion Ash Sutton rounds out the top ten.
Daniel Nagy notably endured another session stuck in the midfield in 14th, though Pyro Motorsport’s Ollie Taylor behind made a noted improvement as the TCR UK Vice-Champion seeks to add to his points tally from Monza.
Stian Paulsen was a surprising 22nd, and Stefano Comini continued to struggle down in 26th.
The weekend’s action continues with qualifying on Saturday [20th October] morning at 11:45 CEST.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 10 | 1:54.273 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 4 | Julien BRICHÉ |  |
JSB Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 1:54.434 | 0.161 |
| 3 | 94 | Kris RICHARD |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 14 | 1:54.551 | 0.278 |
| 4 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 10 | 1:54.623 | 0.350 |
| 5 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 1:54.742 | 0.469 |
| 6 | 99 | Josh FILES |  |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 13 | 1:54.795 | 0.522 |
| 7 | 25 | Mikel AZCONA |  |
PCR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 10 | 1:54.867 | 0.594 |
| 8 | 88 | Maxime POTTY |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:54.964 | 0.691 |
| 9 | 555 | Norbert MICHELISZ | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 11 | 1:55.087 | 0.814 |
| 10 | 116 | Ashley SUTTON | |
WestCoast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:55.277 | 1.004 |
| 11 | 8 | Reece BARR |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 1:55.294 | 1.021 |
| 12 | 909 | Mike HALDER |  |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 4 | 1:55.309 | 1.036 |
| 13 | 19 | Andreas BÄCKMAN |  |
WestCoast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:55.319 | 1.046 |
| 14 | 999 | Dániel NAGY | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 10 | 1:55.320 | 1.047 |
| 15 | 32 | Ollie TAYLOR | |
Pyro Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 10 | 1:55.418 | 1.145 |
| 16 | 223 | Nathanaël BERTHON | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 10 | 1:55.561 | 1.288 |
| 17 | 5 | Klim GAVRILOV |  |
LTA Rally | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 13 | 1:55.600 | 1.327 |
| 18 | 126 | Jessica BÄCKMAN | |
WestCoast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 1:55.751 | 1.478 |
| 19 | 15 | Peter TERTING | |
Autodis Racing by Piro Sports | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 1:55.799 | 1.526 |
| 20 | 10 | Viktor DAVIDOVSKY |  |
PSS Racing Team | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 14 | 1:55.803 | 1.530 |
| 21 | 22 | Petr FULÍN |  |
Fullin Race Academy | CUPRA TCR | 13 | 1:55.981 | 1.708 |
| 22 | 34 | Stian PAULSEN |  |
Stian Paulsen Racing | CUPRA TCR | 8 | 1:56.001 | 1.728 |
| 23 | 23 | Francisco ABREU |  |
Sports & You | Peugeot 308 TCR | 13 | 1:56.049 | 1.776 |
| 24 | 11 | Jens Reno MØLLER |  |
Reno Racing | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 11 | 1:56.174 | 1.901 |
| 25 | 38 | Danny KROES |  |
PCR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 13 | 1:56.274 | 2.001 |
| 26 | 42 | Stefano COMINI | |
Autodis Racing by THX | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 12 | 1:56.514 | 2.241 |
| 27 | 111 | Nikola MILJKOVIĆ | |
LEIN Racing | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 1:57.096 | 2.823 |
| 28 | 35 | Munkong SATHIENTHIRAKUL |  |
Monlau Competición | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 1:57.422 | 3.149 |
| 29 | 21 | Marie BAUS-COPPENS | |
JSB Compétition | CUPRA TCR DSG | 13 | 1:57.643 | 3.370 |
| 30 | 28 | Jean-Laurent NAVARRO | |
MN Développement | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:57.851 | 3.578 |
| 31 | 27 | Enrique HERNANDO | |
Sports & You | Peugeot 308 TCR | 11 | 1:57.910 | 3.637 |
| 32 | 17 | Martin RYBA |  |
Brutal Fish Racing Team | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:58.086 | 3.813 |