Hyundai’s Norbert Michelisz set the pace in the first free practice session for the FIA World Touring Car Cup on the streets of Macau, edging out the Lynk & Co of Yvan Muller in the closing minutes of the session.
Michelisz’s time of 2 minutes 30.460 seconds was good enough to edge out the Frenchman by 0.139 seconds after Muller had beaten it briefly with around ten minutes to go. Michelisz then put in a new fast lap to return to the top of the times at the circuit where he claimed his first WTCC win.
WRT’s Jean-Karl Vernay was third fastest, putting in a strong effort in the Audi at the circuit where he claimed a victory in 2018.
SLR’s Rob Huff was fourth fastest as the best Volkswagen driver, ahead of Yann Ehrlacher’s Lynk & Co in fifth.
Comtoyou Racing’s Tom Coronel was an impressive sixth quickest in the leading CUPRA, ahead of a strong showing by Andy Priaulx in seventh in his Lynk & Co.
BRC’s Nicky Catsburg was eighth, whilst the top ten was completed by PWR Racing’s Mikel Azcona and SLR’s Mehdi Bennani.
Reigning champion Gabriele Tarquini only completed three laps after crashing into the barriers early on, bringing out the red flags. Although the Italian’s Hyundai was not significantly damaged in the incident he was unable to rejoin the session.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 17 | 2:30.460 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 100 | Yvan MULLER |  |
Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 15 | 2:30.599 | 0.139 |
| 3 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 16 | 2:30.751 | 0.291 |
| 4 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
SLR VW Motorsport | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 14 | 2:30.894 | 0.434 |
| 5 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER | |
Cyan Performance Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 15 | 2:31.060 | 0.600 |
| 6 | 50 | Tom CORONEL |  |
Comtoyou DHL Team CUPRA Racing | CUPRA TCR | 14 | 2:31.128 | 0.668 |
| 7 | 111 | Andy PRIAULX | |
Cyan Performance Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 15 | 2:31.365 | 0.905 |
| 8 | 88 | Nicky CATSBURG | |
BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 2:31.428 | 0.968 |
| 9 | 96 | Mikel AZCONA |  |
PWR Racing | CUPRA TCR | 16 | 2:31.435 | 0.975 |
| 10 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
SLR VW Motorsport | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 13 | 2:31.494 | 1.034 |
| 11 | 22 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Comtoyou Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 15 | 2:31.526 | 1.066 |
| 12 | 11 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 13 | 2:31.649 | 1.189 |
| 13 | 2 | Robert DAHLGREN | |
PWR Racing | CUPRA TCR | 15 | 2:31.673 | 1.213 |
| 14 | 18 | Tiago MONTEIRO |  |
KCMG | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 14 | 2:32.108 | 1.648 |
| 15 | 31 | Kevin CECCON |  |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 16 | 2:32.192 | 1.732 |
| 16 | 55 | Ma QING HUA |  |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 14 | 2:32.224 | 1.764 |
| 17 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN | |
Leopard Racing Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 16 | 2:32.426 | 1.966 |
| 18 | 21 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Comtoyou DHL Team CUPRA Racing | CUPRA TCR | 13 | 2:32.488 | 2.028 |
| 19 | 29 | Néstor GIROLAMI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 14 | 2:32.617 | 2.157 |
| 20 | 10 | Niels LANGEVELD | |
Comtoyou Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 15 | 2:32.985 | 2.525 |
| 21 | 6 | Luca ENGSTLER |  |
BRC Hyundai N LUKOIL Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 15 | 2:33.166 | 2.706 |
| 22 | 33 | Benjamin LEUCHTER | |
SLR Volkswagen | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 16 | 2:33.169 | 2.709 |
| 23 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 2:33.311 | 2.851 |
| 24 | 9 | Attila TASSI | |
KCMG | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 13 | 2:33.530 | 3.070 |
| 25 | 14 | Johan KRISTOFFERSSON | |
SLR Volkswagen | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 2:33.934 | 3.474 |
| 26 | 1 | Gabriele TARQUINI | |
BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 3 | 2:34.938 | 4.478 |
| 27 | 36 | Billy LO Kai Fung |  |
Tian Shi Zuver Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 2:35.669 | 5.209 |
| 28 | 19 | Jim KA TO |  |
KC Motorgroup | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 2:36.046 | 5.586 |
| 29 | 98 | James TANG Chi Lun | |
Team TRC | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 15 | 2:40.514 | 10.054 |
| 30 | 99 | Arthur LAW Tia Fan | |
Team TRC | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 8 | 2:41.540 | 11.080 |
| 31 | 59 | Kwai Wah WONG | |
Son Veng Racing Team | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 15 | 2:42.835 | 12.375 |
| 32 | 97 | Terence TSE King Leung | |
Team TRC | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 14 | 2:53.177 | 22.717 |