TCR Europe points leader Mikel Azcona started the title decider in strong fashion, topping the opening practice session at Circuit de Catalunya-Barcelona by half a second from Comtoyou Racing’s Nathanaël Berthon.
Azcona’s PCR Sport-run CUPRA set a quickest time of 1:54.931 on his eighth tour of the 2.8 mile Catalan circuit from the Frenchman, with a late improvement from 2017 British Touring Car Champion Ash Sutton put him third on his maiden outing in the WestCoast Racing-run Volkswagen Golf GTI,
Outside title hopeful Attila Tassi was fourth in the leading Hell Energy with KCMG Honda Civic Type R, edging out the WRT Audi RS 3 LMS of Jean-Karl Vernay by 0.039 seconds.
Dušan Borkovic was sixth in the Target Competition Hyundai i30 N TCR, with Stian Paulsen heading TCR Germany regular Mike Halder in seventh and eighth respectively.
Andreas Backman impressed in ninth, with Peter Turting rounding out the top ten.
FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) regular Norbert Michelisz struggled to just 14th for M1RA, whilst team mate Daniel Nagy could only manage 16th.
The other two Brits – Josh Files and TCR UK Vice-Champion Ollie Taylor – were eventually classified 17th and 25th, the latter edging out multiple TCR Champion Stefano Comini.
The weekend continues with the second free practice session at 16:05 CEST.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 25 | Mikel AZCONA |  |
PCR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 13 | 1:54.931 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 223 | Nathanaël BERTHON |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 9 | 1:55.439 | 0.508 |
| 3 | 116 | Ashley SUTTON |  |
WestCoast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:55.518 | 0.587 |
| 4 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 12 | 1:55.537 | 0.606 |
| 5 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 10 | 1:55.576 | 0.645 |
| 6 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 1:55.631 | 0.700 |
| 7 | 34 | Stian PAULSEN |  |
Stian Paulsen Racing | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 1:55.642 | 0.711 |
| 8 | 909 | Mike HALDER |  |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 11 | 1:55.712 | 0.781 |
| 9 | 19 | Andreas BÄCKMAN |  |
WestCoast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 1:55.726 | 0.795 |
| 10 | 15 | Peter TERTING | |
Autodis Racing by Piro Sports | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 1:55.838 | 0.907 |
| 11 | 22 | Petr FULÍN |  |
Fullin Race Academy | CUPRA TCR | 11 | 1:55.861 | 0.930 |
| 12 | 94 | Kris RICHARD |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 1:55.871 | 0.940 |
| 13 | 8 | Reece BARR |  |
Target Competition | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 1:55.969 | 1.038 |
| 14 | 555 | Norbert MICHELISZ | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 9 | 1:56.043 | 1.112 |
| 15 | 4 | Julien BRICHÉ | |
JSB Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 1:56.314 | 1.383 |
| 16 | 999 | Dániel NAGY | |
M1RA | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 11 | 1:56.446 | 1.515 |
| 17 | 99 | Josh FILES | |
Hell Energy Racing with KCMG | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 10 | 1:56.455 | 1.524 |
| 18 | 23 | Francisco ABREU |  |
Sports & You | Peugeot 308 TCR | 11 | 1:56.464 | 1.533 |
| 19 | 5 | Klim GAVRILOV |  |
LTA Rally | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:56.514 | 1.583 |
| 20 | 88 | Maxime POTTY |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:56.624 | 1.693 |
| 21 | 38 | Danny KROES |  |
PCR Sport | CUPRA TCR | 11 | 1:56.632 | 1.701 |
| 22 | 27 | Enrique HERNANDO | |
Sports & You | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 1:56.810 | 1.879 |
| 23 | 126 | Jessica BÄCKMAN | |
WestCoast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 1:57.247 | 2.316 |
| 24 | 17 | Martin RYBA |  |
Brutal Fish Racing Team | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:57.342 | 2.411 |
| 25 | 32 | Ollie TAYLOR | |
Pyro Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 11 | 1:57.383 | 2.452 |
| 26 | 42 | Stefano COMINI | |
Autodis Racing by THX | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 11 | 1:57.780 | 2.849 |
| 27 | 10 | Viktor DAVIDOVSKY |  |
PSS Racing Team | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 12 | 1:57.884 | 2.953 |
| 28 | 35 | Munkong SATHIENTHIRAKUL |  |
Monlau Competición | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 1:57.886 | 2.955 |
| 29 | 11 | Jens Reno MØLLER |  |
Reno Racing | Honda Civic Type R FK7 TCR | 10 | 1:58.033 | 3.102 |
| 30 | 21 | Marie BAUS-COPPENS | |
JSB Compétition | CUPRA TCR DSG | 12 | 1:58.178 | 3.247 |