Eric Gené secured his first TCR Europe pole position in qualifying at the Red Bull Ring, as the Monlau Motorsport driver beat PMA Motorsport’s Nicolas Taylor by half a tenth in Q2.
The Spaniard, who had earlier topped Q1, went three tenths quicker on his final effort in Q2, lapping the Austrian circuit in 1 minute 36.605 seconds.
Gené had gone to the top of the times with his first flying lap in Q2, but he was beaten by Taylor’s effort, before going quicker on his second attempt.
Taylor too went quicker on his second effort, but not by enough to beat Gené, and had to settle for second as the top Audi driver.
MM Motorsport’s Marco Butti was third quickest as the leading Honda, just under three tenths off the pace.
Aikoa Racing’s Nicola Baldan put his Audi in fourth, ahead of fellow Italian Jacopo Cimenes in fifth in another MM Motorsport Honda.
Series débutant René Kircher was an impressive sixth in the leading ALM Motorsport-run Honda, ahead of the second Monlau CUPRA of Jenson Brickley in seventh.
Also putting in a strong showing was rookie Raphaël Fournier in eighth, the JSB Compétition driver just six tenths off the pace on his first-ever TCR Europe outing.
The top ten was completed by Target Competition’s Max Hart and Team Clairet’s Jimmy Clairet, the latter whom will start on the reverse-grid pole.
Santiago Concepción and Junesung Park were 11th and 12th respectively, which is where they will start for both races, the latter perhaps disappointed after the Solite Indigo Racing Hyundais had topped both practice sessions on Friday.
Indeed, Junui Park just missed out on progressing to Q2 by 0.021 seconds and will start 13th for both races, ahead of MA:GP’S Viktor Andersson in 14th in the field’s sole Lynk & Co.
Championship leader Teddy Clairet was only 16th, six tenths off the Q1 pace, the Audi driver seemingly struggling with the 30 kg of ballast laden to his car.
Ruben Volt was just 21st after the ALM Motorsport driver stopped with a driveshaft issue on his Honda in Q1.
Race one is scheduled to get underway at 14:00 CEST (13:00 BST).
Q2 results
| POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 28 |  |
Eric GENÉ Casanovas | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 7 | 1:36.605 | – |
| 2 | 17 |  |
Nicolas TAYLOR | PMA Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 6 | 1:36.661 | 0.056 |
| 3 | 111 |  |
Marco BUTTI | MM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 7 | 1:36.882 | 0.277 |
| 4 | 8 | |
Nicola BALDAN | Aikoa Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 5 | 1:36.940 | 0.335 |
| 5 | 82 | |
Jacopo CIMENES | MM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 6 | 1:37.034 | 0.429 |
| 6 | 108 |  |
René KIRCHER | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 6 | 1:37.179 | 0.574 |
| 7 | 246 |  |
Jenson BRICKLEY | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 7 | 1:37.182 | 0.577 |
| 8 | 145 |  |
Raphaël FOURNIER | JSB Compétition | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 7 | 1:37.222 | 0.617 |
| 9 | 69 |  |
Max HART | Target Srl | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 6 | 1:37.246 | 0.641 |
| 10 | 21 | |
Jimmy CLAIRET | Team Clairet Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 7 | 1:37.247 | 0.642 |
| 11 | 33 | |
Santiago CONCEPCIÓN | Auto Club RC2 Valles | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 6 | 1:37.586 | 0.981 |
| 12 | 97 |  |
Junesung PARK | Solite Indigo Racing | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 6 | 1:37.817 | 1.212 |
Q1 results
| POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 28 | |
Eric GENÉ Casanovas | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 11 | 1:36.973 | – |
| 2 | 111 | |
Marco BUTTI | MM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 9 | 1:37.019 | 0.046 |
| 3 | 69 | |
Max HART | Target Srl | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 11 | 1:37.135 | 0.162 |
| 4 | 246 | |
Jenson BRICKLEY | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA Leon VZ TCR | 10 | 1:37.150 | 0.177 |
| 5 | 8 | |
Nicola BALDAN | Aikoa Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 11 | 1:37.194 | 0.221 |
| 6 | 108 | |
René KIRCHER | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 11 | 1:37.206 | 0.233 |
| 7 | 21 | |
Jimmy CLAIRET | Team Clairet Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 10 | 1:37.220 | 0.247 |
| 8 | 97 | |
Junesung PARK | Solite Indigo Racing | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 5 | 1:37.242 | 0.269 |
| 9 | 82 | |
Jacopo CIMENES | MM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 11 | 1:37.266 | 0.293 |
| 10 | 17 | |
Nicolas TAYLOR | PMA Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 11 | 1:37.288 | 0.315 |
| 11 | 33 | |
Santiago CONCEPCIÓN | Auto Club RC2 Valles | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 10 | 1:37.302 | 0.329 |
| 12 | 145 | |
Raphaël FOURNIER | JSB Compétition | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 11 | 1:37.346 | 0.373 |
| 13 | 87 | |
Junui PARK | Solite Indigo Racing | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 10 | 1:37.367 | 0.394 |
| 14 | 10 |  |
Viktor ANDERSSON | MA:GP | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 10 | 1:37.498 | 0.525 |
| 15 | 12 | |
Gabriele COVINI | BRC Racing Team | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 11 | 1:37.534 | 0.561 |
| 16 | 20 | |
Teddy CLAIRET | Team Clairet Sport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 11 | 1:37.594 | 0.621 |
| 17 | 3 | |
Giacomo GHERMANDI | MM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 11 | 1:37.743 | 0.770 |
| 18 | 4 | |
Julien BRICHÉ | JSB Compétition | Hyundai Elantra N TCR | 9 | 1:37.784 | 0.811 |
| 19 | 80 | |
Filippo BARBERI | Aikoa Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 10 | 1:37.942 | 0.969 |
| 20 | 19 | |
Felipe FERNÁNDEZ Gil | Auto Club RC2 Valles | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 11 | 1:38.001 | 1.028 |
| 21 | 27 |  |
Ruben VOLT | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 5 | 1:38.254 | 1.281 |
| 22 | 72 | |
Sandro PELATTI | PMA Motorsport | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 10 | 1:38.353 | 1.380 |
| 23 | 45 | |
Victor FERNÁNDEZ Gil | Auto Club RC2 Valles | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 11 | 1:38.579 | 1.606 |