On his final weekend in the World Touring Car Championship, it was Citroën’s José María López who set the pace in first practice in Qatar, ahead of LADA’s Hugo Valente and Polestar’s Thed Björk.
Champion López hit the top of the times around 17 minutes into the half-hour session, which took place under floodlights as day turned to night at the Losail International Circuit.
The Argentine continued to push the pace in his last weekend in the WTCC, even running wide around one of the tyre stacks on his final flying lap.
LADA’s Valente was second fastest, 0.621 seconds slower, although the Frenchman did stop his Vesta on track at the end of the session with apparent mechanical issues.
Polestar Cyan Racing duo Thed Björk and Robert Dahlgren were third and fourth respectively, the Swedish duo being the only other drivers within a second of the pace, having been near the top of the times throughout.
Rob Huff was the leading Honda driver in fifth, ahead of the LADAs of Gabriele Tarquini and Nicky Catsburg in sixth and seventh.
Outgoing WTCC legend Yvan Muller was eighth fastest, just under one and a half seconds slower than his team-mate.
Behind Honda’s Tiago Monteiro, Mehdi Bennani was the leading independent racer in tenth.
Second practice takes place at 21:00 local time (18:00 GMT, 19:00 CET).
Session results
| POS | NO | CL | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 37 | José María LÓPEZ |  |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 8 | 2:02.182 | 0.000 | |
| 2 | 7 | Hugo VALENTE |  |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 12 | 2:02.803 | 0.621 | |
| 3 | 62 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
Polestar Cyan Racing | Volvo S60 WTCC | 7 | 2:03.049 | 0.867 | |
| 4 | 63 | Robert DAHLGREN | |
Polestar Cyan Racing | Volvo S60 WTCC | 11 | 2:03.181 | 0.999 | |
| 5 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 10 | 2:03.200 | 1.018 | |
| 6 | 2 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 11 | 2:03.319 | 1.137 | |
| 7 | 10 | Nicky CATSBURG |  |
LADA Sport Rosneft | LADA Vesta WTCC | 13 | 2:03.386 | 1.204 | |
| 8 | 68 | Yvan MULLER | |
Citroën Total WTCC | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 11 | 2:03.617 | 1.435 | |
| 9 | 18 | Tiago MONTEIRO |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 10 | 2:03.687 | 1.505 | |
| 10 | 25 | T | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 11 | 2:03.710 | 1.528 |
| 11 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 11 | 2:03.719 | 1.537 | |
| 12 | 3 | T | Tom CHILTON | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 10 | 2:03.832 | 1.650 |
| 13 | 27 | T | John FILIPPI | |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 11 | 2:03.877 | 1.695 |
| 14 | 11 | T | Grégoire DEMOUSTIER | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 11 | 2:04.376 | 2.194 |
| 15 | 55 | T | Ferenc FICZA | |
Zengő Motorsport | Honda Civic WTCC | 11 | 2:04.511 | 2.329 |
| 16 | 15 | T | James THOMPSON | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 12 | 2:05.028 | 2.846 |
| 17 | 9 | T | Tom CORONEL | |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 8 | 2:05.118 | 2.936 |
| 18 | 99 | T | Dániel NAGY | |
Zengő Motorsport | Honda Civic WTCC | 10 | 2:05.276 | 3.094 |