Münnich Motorsport’s Yann Ehrlacher emerged quickest from the second and final FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) practice session at the Slovakia Ring, with lap times starting to tumble.
Qualifying simulations were the order of the day for the majority of the field, with Ehrlacher setting a best time of 2:11.350s around the 3.6 mile circuit – a new track record for TCR machinery.
He could have been denied by a last-gasp effort from Pepe Oriola’s CUPRA, or any number of the usual suspects in a session that saw the top 15 split by less than half a second.
Jean-Karl Vernay turned in an improved run to third in the WRT-run Audi RS 3 LMS, though team-mate Gordon Shedden still struggled in 20th.
Esteban Guerrieri took fourth in a near dead-heat with the Peugeot 308 of Aurelien Comte, with Fabrizio Giovanardi an improved sixth behind in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR.
His team-mate and championship newcomer, Kevin Ceccon, was less fortunate after getting crossed up and spinning out into the gravel.
First practice pace-setter Tom Coronel also hit trouble, with a near-exact repeat of his front-left puncture, once again at Turn 3 on the DHL-backed Honda Civic Type R.
Gabriele Tarquini ended the session quickest of the Hyundai i30 N contigent in eighth behind Aurelien Panis, with Nathanael Berthon and John Fillipi rounding out the top ten.
It proved another difficult session for Sebastien Loeb Racing after their newly-replaced Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR pairing could only manage 22nd (Medhi Bennani) and 23rd (Rob Huff).
Equally championship leader Yvan Muller struggled to 15th and his team-mate Thed Bjork – who will start the opening race from the back after a penalty for an engine change – was just 17th.
Qualifying for the opening race of the weekend in Slovakia is scheduled to get underway at 16:55 BST.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | 11 | 2:11.350 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 2:11.390 | 0.040 |
| 3 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 10 | 2:11.399 | 0.049 |
| 4 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | 11 | 2:11.416 | 0.066 |
| 5 | 7 | Aurélien COMTE | |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 11 | 2:11.431 | 0.081 |
| 6 | 88 | Fabrizio GIOVANARDI |  |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 11 | 2:11.453 | 0.103 |
| 7 | 21 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 11 | 2:11.513 | 0.163 |
| 8 | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI | |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 9 | 2:11.545 | 0.195 |
| 9 | 23 | Nathanaël BERTHON | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 10 | 2:11.555 | 0.205 |
| 10 | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 11 | 2:11.584 | 0.234 |
| 11 | 22 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS | 11 | 2:11.645 | 0.295 |
| 12 | 20 | Denis DUPONT | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 10 | 2:11.646 | 0.296 |
| 13 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 9 | 2:11.647 | 0.297 |
| 14 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 11 | 2:11.760 | 0.410 |
| 15 | 48 | Yvan MULLER | |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 9 | 2:11.782 | 0.432 |
| 16 | 63 | Benjamin LESSENNES | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | 10 | 2:11.850 | 0.500 |
| 17 | 11 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 10 | 2:12.043 | 0.693 |
| 18 | 44 | Petr FULÍN |  |
Fullin Race Academy | CUPRA TCR | 10 | 2:12.368 | 1.018 |
| 19 | 9 | Tom CORONEL |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type R FK8 TCR | 10 | 2:12.404 | 1.054 |
| 20 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN |  |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 10 | 2:12.479 | 1.129 |
| 21 | 66 | Zsolt Dávid SZABÓ | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 11 | 2:12.699 | 1.349 |
| 22 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 2:12.766 | 1.416 |
| 23 | 12 | Rob HUFF | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 2:12.776 | 1.426 |
| 24 | 8 | Norbert NAGY | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 11 | 2:13.006 | 1.656 |
| 25 | 17 | Andrej STUDENIČ | |
Brutal Fish Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 2:13.364 | 2.014 |
| 26 | 31 | Kevin CECCON | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 2 | No time | N/A |