Yann Ehrlacher set the pace in the opening free practice session for the TCR World Tour and TCR South America at the La Pedrera street circuit in Argentina, over seven tenths of a second clear of BRC Racing’s Mikel Azcona.
Ehrlacher was in dominant form on the circuit, brand new to him and the entire contingent of full-season TCR World Tour entrants.
But despite that unfamiliarity, Ehrlacher was able to lap the fast street circuit in 1 minute 45.392 seconds, setting a new record at his very first attempt. The previous record was set by Agustín Canapino in Turismo Carretera in 2018.
“I expect a very challenging weekend as the track is very difficult, very dirty with a lot of dirt and that makes everything more difficult,” said Ehrlacher.
“If you miss the line by two metres, you’re up against the walls so it’s going to be challenging. It’s a good start to the weekend, the car is very good, the team did a great job considering that there was little time between one event and the next. It’s up to us to maintain this good moment.”
Azcona was a distant second, the Hyundai driver being the only other person within a second of Ehrlacher.
Cyan Racing’s Santiago Urrutia and Squadra Martino’s Néstor Girolami were third and fourth respectively, separated by a tenth.
Ma Qing Hua put his Lynk & Co in fifth, ahead of the second Hyundai of Norbert Michelisz in sixth, whilst seventh-placed Thed Björk was the only other driver within two seconds of the pace.
Comtoyou Racing’s Rob Huff was the best Audi driver in eighth, whilst the leading TCR South America driver was points leader Ignacio Montenegro, who puts his Honda in ninth, 2.301 seconds adrift of Ehrlacher.
Toyota Team Argentina’s Bernardo Llaver completed the top ten, with a total of 25 cars taking part in the opening session.
The grid this weekend will be slightly smaller than last weekend’s event in Uruguay, as the two PMO Racing Peugeots are not entered, and the pair of Alfa Racing Giulietta’s are also absent.
Session result
| POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 168 |  |
Yann EHRLACHER | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR | 10 | 1:45.392 | – |
| 2 | 196 |  |
Mikel AZCONA | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 12 | 1:46.136 | 0.744 |
| 3 | 112 |  |
Santiago URRUTIA | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR | 8 | 1:46.462 | 1.070 |
| 4 | 129 |  |
Néstor GIROLAMI | Squadra Martino Racing | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 8 | 1:46.512 | 1.120 |
| 5 | 155 |  |
MA Qing Hua | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR | 10 | 1:46.761 | 1.369 |
| 6 | 105 |  |
Norbert MICHELISZ | BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 10 | 1:47.163 | 1.771 |
| 7 | 111 |  |
Thed BJÖRK | Cyan Racing Lynk & Co | Lynk & Co 03 FL TCR | 9 | 1:47.256 | 1.864 |
| 8 | 179 |  |
Rob HUFF | Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 8 | 1:47.450 | 2.058 |
| 9 | 23 | |
Ignacio MONTENEGRO | Squadra Martino | Honda Civic Type-R FK7 TCR | 9 | 1:47.693 | 2.301 |
| 10 | 17 | |
Bernardo LLAVER | Toyota Team Argentina | Toyota Corolla GRS TCR | 8 | 1:47.699 | 2.307 |
| 11 | 43 |  |
Pedro CARDOSO | Scuderia Chiarelli | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 10 | 1:47.805 | 2.413 |
| 12 | 28 | |
Galid OSMAN | W2 Pro GP | CUPRA Leon Competición TCR | 11 | 1:47.845 | 2.453 |
| 13 | 77 | |
Raphael REIS | W2 Pro GP | CUPRA Leon Competición TCR | 12 | 1:47.985 | 2.593 |
| 14 | 70 | |
Diego NUNES | Cobra Racing Team | Toyota Corolla GRS TCR | 7 | 1:48.054 | 2.662 |
| 15 | 5 | |
Fabián YANNANTUONI | Paladini Racing | Toyota Corolla GRS TCR | 11 | 1:48.081 | 2.689 |
| 16 | 122 |  |
Frédéric VERVISCH | Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 11 | 1:48.170 | 2.778 |
| 17 | 86 | |
Esteban GUERRIERI | Bratton Tito Bessone Team | Toyota Corolla GRS TCR | 9 | 1:48.272 | 2.880 |
| 18 | 60 | |
Juan Manuel CASELLA | Squadra Martino | Honda Civic Type-R FK7 TCR | 11 | 1:48.460 | 3.068 |
| 19 | 2 | |
Juan Ángel ROSSO | Paladini Racing | Toyota Corolla GRS TCR | 9 | 1:48.592 | 3.200 |
| 20 | 22 | |
Matías MILLA | PMO Motorsport | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 10 | 1:48.942 | 3.550 |
| 21 | 24 | |
Frederick BALBI | PMO Motorsport | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 10 | 1:49.930 | 4.538 |
| 22 | 15 | |
Enrique MAGLIONE | Squadra Martino | Honda Civic Type-R FK7 TCR | 8 | 1:50.967 | 5.575 |
| 23 | 33 | |
José Manuel SAPAG | Toyota Team Argentina | Toyota Corolla GRS TCR | 9 | 1:51.883 | 6.491 |
| 24 | 34 | |
Fabio CASAGRANDE | Squadra Martino | Honda Civic Type-R FK7 TCR | 11 | 1:53.318 | 7.926 |
| 25 | 10 | |
Adalberto BAPTISTA | Cobra Racing Team | Toyota Corolla GRS TCR | 8 | 1:55.772 | 10.380 |