As the sun was starting to set at the Bahrain International Circuit, second free practice for the TCR International Series in Sahkir saw Comtoyou Racing’s Stefano Comini top the times, with only 15 cars taking part.
DG Sport Compétition’s Mat’o Homola found himself sitting on the sidelines, as his Opel Astra required an engine change after just two laps in the first session, putting him out until qualifying.
Defending champion Comini was the fastest out on track after the halfway point, as the Swiss ace hustled his Audi RS3 LMS to a 2:13.731, with the Lukoil Craft-Bamboo pairing of Pepe Oriola and James Nash not that far off the pace.
The latter would end up just 0.006 seconds apart at the end of the session, as Comini’s effort was not bettered.
Nash’s Seat Léon required a driveshaft replacement after FP1, whilst the GE-Force Alfa Romeo of Michela Cerruti had to have its radiator replaced in between the sessions. The Italian would end up 13th, ahead of countryman Giacomo Altoè and US driver Duncan Ende.
M1RA’s Roberto Colciago was fourth fastest in his Honda Civic, 0.440 seconds off the pace set by Comini, but just over two tenths off initial pace setter, Leopard Racing’s Jean-Karl Vernay, with Hugo Valente sixth.
WestCoast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli would go tenth fastest just a few moments later in his Volkswagen Golf GTi, having gained a slipstream off M1RA’s Attila Tassi.
But the pair would improve to eighth and seventh respectively, with Tassi finding half a second on his last attempt as the practice session concluded. Serbia’s Dušan Borković split the duo, as the GE-Force driver was two tenths off the pace that Morbidelli set.
DG’s Pierre-Yves Courthals rounded out the top ten, 0.064 seconds ahead of Davit Kajaia, who took the season opener victory in Georgia, with Ferenc Ficza 12th.
Qualifying for the TCR International Series this weekend gets underway at 1100 local time (0900 BST).
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 1 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 9 | 2:13.731 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 9 | 2:13.953 | 0.222 |
| 3 | 54 | James NASH |  |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 8 | 2:13.959 | 0.228 |
| 4 | 5 | Roberto COLCIAGO |  |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 8 | 2:14.171 | 0.440 |
| 5 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 7 | 2:14.406 | 0.675 |
| 6 | 7 | Hugo VALENTE | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 8 | 2:14.425 | 0.694 |
| 7 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 8 | 2:14.629 | 0.898 |
| 8 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 7 | 2:15.363 | 1.632 |
| 9 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 7 | 2:15.410 | 1.679 |
| 10 | 23 | Pierre-Yves CORTHALS |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 9 | 2:15.653 | 1.922 |
| 11 | 16 | Davit KAJAIA |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 8 | 2:16.048 | 2.317 |
| 12 | 55 | Ferenc FICZA | |
Zele Racing | SEAT León TCR | 8 | 2:16.112 | 2.381 |
| 13 | 88 | Michela CERRUTI | |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 9 | 2:16.540 | 2.809 |
| 14 | 21 | Giacomo ALTOÈ | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 2:16.713 | 2.982 |
| 15 | 18 | Duncan ENDE |  |
Icarus Motorsports | SEAT León TCR | 9 | 2:18.468 | 4.737 |
| 16 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 0 | No time |