Engstler Motorsport’s Nicki Thiim stormed to pole position in the TCR International Series in Portugal, with the Dane a comfortable 0.757 seconds ahead of Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Jordi Gené and Pepe Oriola.
Audi Sport development driver Thiim topped both of the qualifying segments, meaning that the Dane has not been toppled all weekend at the Algarve circuit. After going fastest by 0.681 seconds in Q1, Thiim went on to extend his advantage to 0.757 seconds in Q2.
Craft-Bamboo’s Gené and Oriola had little answer to Thiim’s speed in their SEAT Leóns, despite being the cloest challengers to the Audi driver throughout the weekend so far.
Lorenzo Veglia put in a surprise quick lap late in Q2, earning the Italian fourth on the grid for race one. Veglia put his SEAT ahead of South African Kelvin Van der Linde who, like Thiim, has been drafted in to race Engstler’s Audis due to his association with the car’s development programme.
WestCoast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli qualified in sixth as the top Honda driver, but the Italian ended up more than a second off the pace.
Championship leader Stefano Comini was seventh, ahead of the third Craft-Bamboo SEAT of Sergey Afanasyev and Target team-mate Michel Nykjær. The latter was lucky to make it into Q2, with the Dane leaving it until late in Q1 to improve his time.
WestCoast Racing’s Kevin Gleason qualified in tenth and earned himself pole position for race two.
Q2 times
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 3 | Nicki THIIM |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Audi Sport TT Cup | 4 | 1:53.863 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 88 | Jordi GENÉ |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 5 | 1:54.620 | 0.757 |
| 3 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA | |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 5 | 1:54.699 | 0.836 |
| 4 | 7 | Lorenzo VEGLIA |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | SEAT León Racer | 4 | 1:54.786 | 0.923 |
| 5 | 9 | Kelvin VAN DER LINDE |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Audi Sport TT Cup | 5 | 1:54.841 | 0.978 |
| 6 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 5 | 1:54.945 | 1.082 |
| 7 | 25 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 5 | 1:54.969 | 1.106 |
| 8 | 77 | Sergey AFANASYEV |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 5 | 1:55.080 | 1.217 |
| 9 | 17 | Michel NYKJÆR | |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 5 | 1:55.276 | 1.413 |
| 10 | 24 | Kevin GLEASON |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 5 | 1:55.369 | 1.506 |
| 11 | 33 | Andrea BELICCHI | |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 5 | 1:55.410 | 1.547 |
| 12 | 50 | Francisco MORA |  |
Veloso Motorsport | SEAT León Racer | 4 | 1:55.779 | 1.916 |