Honda’s Tiago Monteiro set the pace in first practice for the World Touring Car Championship at Monza, despite picking up a puncture half-way through the session.
Monteiro had been near the front of the times throughout the 45-minute session, although it was Münnich Motorsport’s Rob Huff who was the first to put in a meaningful time in the first ten minutes.
Monteiro had been threatening to go faster, but the Portuguese was the first driver to pick up a front-left puncture after just over 20 minutes, throwing him off the circuit and through the gravel at Variante Ascari.
Huff would hold the top time for the first 20 minutes, but the Brit ended up also picking up a puncture after going straight on at the Prima Variante chicane, which saw him limp back to the pits.
With two of the leading drivers having tyre changes, it was the Honda of Norbert Michelisz that then went fastest, before Monteiro took the top spot in the final five minutes of the session.
Polestar Cyan Racing’s Thed Björk was second fastest, just 0.119 seconds behind, thanks to a last-lap effort, whilst the Honda of Michelisz was third.
Huff ended up in fourth, marginally ahead of the third factory Honda of Ryo Michigami in fifth – despite the Honda team predicting that they would struggle at the high-speed Monza circuit.
Néstor Girolami put his Volvo in sixth, ahead of the leading Sébastien Loeb Racing Citroën of Mehdi Bennani in seventh.
Nicky Catsburg completed the fewest laps of anyone in the session and ended up in eighth, ahead of the leading independent LADA of Yann Ehrlacher in ninth.
ROAL Motorsport’s Tom Coronel was tenth, despite the Dutchman having a spin at Variante Ascari at the half-way stage of the session.
WTCC newcomer Kevin Gleason was the slowest driver in the session, the American being 2.870 seconds off the pace in 16th.
Second practice takes place at 11:00 BST (12:00 CEST).
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 18 | Tiago MONTEIRO |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 13 | 1:53.572 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 62 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
Polestar Cyan Racing | Volvo S60 Polestar | 11 | 1:53.691 | 0.119 |
| 3 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 13 | 1:53.779 | 0.207 |
| 4 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 13 | 1:53.838 | 0.266 |
| 5 | 34 | Ryo MICHIGAMI |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 15 | 1:53.854 | 0.282 |
| 6 | 61 | Néstor GIROLAMI |  |
Polestar Cyan Racing | Volvo S60 Polestar | 11 | 1:54.165 | 0.593 |
| 7 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 16 | 1:55.018 | 1.446 |
| 8 | 63 | Nicky CATSBURG |  |
Polestar Cyan Racing | Volvo S60 Polestar | 6 | 1:55.099 | 1.527 |
| 9 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER |  |
RC Motorsport | LADA Vesta WTCC | 16 | 1:55.116 | 1.544 |
| 10 | 9 | Tom CORONEL | |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 16 | 1:55.158 | 1.586 |
| 11 | 3 | Tom CHILTON | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 11 | 1:55.532 | 1.960 |
| 12 | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 17 | 1:55.640 | 2.068 |
| 13 | 8 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Zengő Motorsport Kft | Honda Civic WTCC | 13 | 1:55.890 | 2.318 |
| 14 | 99 | Dániel NAGY | |
Zengő Motorsport Kft | Honda Civic WTCC | 14 | 1:56.014 | 2.442 |
| 15 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI | |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 14 | 1:56.181 | 2.609 |
| 16 | 24 | Kevin GLEASON |  |
RC Motorsport | LADA Vesta WTCC | 15 | 1:56.442 | 2.870 |