West Coast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli set the pace in first practice for the TCR International Series in Thailand, posting a time more than half a second quicker than Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Pepe Oriola.
Morbidelli was comfortably the fastest driver in the half-hour session, moving to the top of the times at the mid-way point and extending his advantage thereafter.
“It was a good session, I am satisfied with how things went,” said Morbidelli afterwards. “We worked well, in the right direction from the start and we are progressing well with the set-up.
“I really like this track, it is very nice to drive, with some corners like number four, to be taken flat out in sixth gear, really exciting from a driver’s perspective.”
Oriola was at the head of a Craft-Bamboo trio, with team-mates Sergey Afanasyev and Jordi Gené third and fourth fastest respectively.
Morbidelli’s West Coast Racing team-mate René Münnich was fifth quickest, more than a second behind the Italian.
Campos Racing’s Hugo Valente was an impressive sixth fastest in the team’s sole Opel Astra, with the WTCC ace a further 0.014 seconds back from Münnich.
Kevin Gleason made sure the third West Coast Honda was in the top ten with the seventh fastest time, ahead of the leading Target Competition SEAT of Loris Hezemans in eighth.
Local racer Munkong Sathienthirakul cracked the top ten in his Craft-Bamboo SEAT, ending the session in ninth and as the fastest of the TCR Asia Series competitors.
Championship leader Stefano Comini completed the top ten, with the Swiss racer continuing to suffer from the handicap of an injured knee.
Liqui Moly Team Engstler’s Tomas Engström failed to take part in the session due to a defective sensor, whilst Robb Holland’s Ford stopped on the circuit with differential problems, having posted the 20th fastest time.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 12 | 1:43.506 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 1:44.099 | 0.593 |
| 3 | 77 | Sergey AFANASYEV |  |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 1:44.396 | 0.890 |
| 4 | 88 | Jordi GENÉ | |
Team Craft-Bamboo LUKOIL | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 1:44.407 | 0.901 |
| 5 | 23 | René MÜNNICH |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 13 | 1:44.848 | 1.342 |
| 6 | 45 | Hugo VALENTE |  |
Campos Racing | Opel Astra OPC | 11 | 1:44.862 | 1.356 |
| 7 | 24 | Kevin GLEASON |  |
West Coast Racing | Honda Civic TCR | 15 | 1:44.897 | 1.391 |
| 8 | 15 | Loris HEZEMANS |  |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 11 | 1:44.948 | 1.442 |
| 9 | 80 | Munkong SATHIENTHIRAKUL |  |
Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León Racer | 14 | 1:44.996 | 1.490 |
| 10 | 25 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 14 | 1:45.091 | 1.585 |
| 11 | 8 | Mikhail GRACHEV | |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf TCR | 15 | 1:45.298 | 1.792 |
| 12 | 7 | Lorenzo VEGLIA | |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | SEAT León Racer | 15 | 1:45.633 | 2.127 |
| 13 | 31 | Tin SRITRAI | |
Asia Racing Team | SEAT León Racer | 14 | 1:45.819 | 2.313 |
| 14 | 68 | Michael CHOI |  |
Prince Racing Hong Kong | Honda Civic TCR | 14 | 1:46.379 | 2.873 |
| 15 | 66 | Filipe Clemente DE SOUZA |  |
Roadstar Racing Team | SEAT León Racer | 10 | 1:46.631 | 3.125 |
| 16 | 69 | Kevin PU |  |
Asia Racing Team | SEAT León Racer | 15 | 1:46.706 | 3.200 |
| 17 | 35 | Rafaël GALIANA | |
Target Competition | SEAT León Racer | 14 | 1:46.850 | 3.344 |
| 18 | 52 | Alain MENU | |
Top Run Motorsport | Subaru STi TCR | 10 | 1:46.927 | 3.421 |
| 19 | 38 | Kenneth LAU | |
Prince Racing Hong Kong | Honda Civic TCR | 14 | 1:47.313 | 3.807 |
| 20 | 27 | Robb HOLLAND | |
FRD Ford HK Racing Team | Ford Focus ST | 6 | 1:47.564 | 4.058 |
| 21 | 56 | Samson CHAN | |
Roadstar Racing Team | SEAT León Racer | 14 | 1:49.099 | 5.593 |
| 22 | 67 | Johnson HUANG |  |
Roadstar Racing Team | SEAT León Racer | 14 | 1:50.829 | 7.323 |
| 23 | 65 | Douglas KHOO |  |
Niza Racing | SEAT León Racer | 9 | 1:55.012 | 11.506 |
| 24 | 4 | Tomas ENGSTRÖM |  |
Liqui Moly Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf TCR | 4 | No time | N/A |