Cyan Racing’s Thed Björk set the pace in the opening FIA World Touring Car Cup free practice session of the weekend at the Hungaroring, edging out Comtoyou Racing’s Nathanaël Berthon by just 0.010 seconds.
Björk went to the top of the times after 18 minutes with his effort of 1 minute 51.965 seconds, knocking Audi driver Berthon off the top of the times by 0.144 seconds.
However, Berthon would improve his lap in the final minutes of the session to end up just one hundredth of a second behind the leading Lynk & Co driver.
“It was a fantastic start for the Hungarian weekend,” said Björk. “Going out, the track is great, the car felt great. A perfect way to start the weekend.
“But I decided before I went out that this is going to be a fantastic day! So let’s just keep that up.
“The conditions are super nice and it is going to be very hot in qualifying. I have the confidence, sometimes it is up and down. It is many years since I was world champion, but why not – I can be it again.”
Magnus made it another strong session for the RS3 LMS drivers by being third fastest, the Belgian driver just under two tenths off the pace.
BRC Racing’s Mikel Azcona had been quickest after the opening third of the session, with the Hyundai driver ending up in fourth after improving several times towards the end, 0.316 seconds adrift.
Münnich Motorsport’s Esteban Guerrieri was the fastest Honda driver in fifth, three tenths off the pace, ahead of the second Hyundai Elantra of home hero Norbert Michelisz in sixth.
Reigning champion Yann Ehrlacher was seventh, ahead of uncle and team-mate Yvan Muller in eighth, the experienced Frenchman just over six tenths off Björk’s time.
The top ten was completed by the Honda of Néstor Girolami and the Lynk & Co of Ma Qing Hua.
After the tyre dramas of the last round at the Nürburgring, no issues were noted in the session.
Session results
| POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 11 |  |
Thed BJÖRK | Cyan Performance Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 18 | 1:51.965 | – |
| 2 | 17 |  |
Nathanaël BERTHON | Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR 2021 | 21 | 1:51.975 | 0.010 |
| 3 | 16 |  |
Gilles MAGNUS | Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR 2021 | 20 | 1:52.135 | 0.170 |
| 4 | 96 |  |
Mikel AZCONA | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 20 | 1:52.281 | 0.316 |
| 5 | 86 |  |
Esteban GUERRIERI | ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FK7 TCR | 16 | 1:52.287 | 0.322 |
| 6 | 5 |  |
Norbert MICHELISZ | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 19 | 1:52.353 | 0.388 |
| 7 | 68 | |
Yann EHRLACHER | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 17 | 1:52.544 | 0.579 |
| 8 | 100 | |
Yvan MULLER | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 18 | 1:54.570 | 0.605 |
| 9 | 29 | |
Néstor GIROLAMI | ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FK7 TCR | 17 | 1:52.605 | 0.640 |
| 10 | 55 |  |
MA Qing Hua | Cyan Performance Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 20 | 1:52.650 | 0.685 |
| 11 | 79 |  |
Rob HUFF | Zengő Motorsport Services Kft | CUPRA Leon Competición TCR | 15 | 1:52.892 | 0.927 |
| 12 | 33 |  |
Tom CORONEL | Comtoyou DHL Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR 2021 | 21 | 1:53.228 | 1.263 |
| 13 | 25 |  |
Mehdi BENNANI | Comtoyou Team Audi Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR 2021 | 20 | 1:53.282 | 1.317 |
| 14 | 9 | |
Attila TASSI | Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Honda Civic Type-R FK7 TCR | 19 | 1:53.347 | 1.382 |
| 15 | 18 |  |
Tiago MONTEIRO | Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Honda Civic Type-R FK7 TCR | 18 | 1:53.408 | 1.443 |
| 16 | 99 | |
Dániel NAGY | Zengő Motorsport Services Kft | CUPRA Leon Competición TCR | 18 | 1:53.412 | 1.447 |
| 17 | 12 |  |
Santiago URRUTIA | Cyan Performance Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 19 | 1:53.589 | 1.624 |