Honda’s Norbert Michelisz headed Volvo’s Nicky Catsburg in first practice for the World Touring Car Championship at the Twin Ring Motegi in Japan, as Ryo Michigami was an impressive third fastest on home soil.
Michelisz was the quickest driver for much of the 45-minute session, with the Hungarian ending up with a margin of three tenths of a second over the Polestar Cyan Racing driver.
Michigami put in one of his best efforts since joining the factory Honda squad to go third, just ahead of the leading Citroën of Münnich Motorsport’s Rob Huff in fourth.
Esteban Guerrieri, who has moved to Honda to replace Tiago Monteiro this weekend, was fifth fastest on his first outing in the Civic, just over a second off the pace.
Yann Ehrlacher was the leading RC Motorsport LADA driver in sixth, ahead of Polestar’s Néstor Girolami in seventh.
Championship leader Thed Björk could only manage ninth fastest, some 1.804 seconds off the pace, as the Swede ended the session slower than both his two team-mates.
Swiss racer Kris Richard, who only found out about his prize-winning drive in Japan on Tuesday, was 14th fastest on his first outing in the WTCC in the Campos Racing Chevrolet Cruze, just over four seconds off the pace.
There is no further track action on Saturday due to timetable changes enforced by typhoon delays in the region, with second practice, qualifying and both races all taking place on Sunday.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 15 | 2:08.363 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 63 | Nicky CATSBURG |  |
Polestar Cyan Racing | Volvo S60 Polestar | 13 | 2:08.663 | 0.300 |
| 3 | 34 | Ryo MICHIGAMI |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 13 | 2:08.927 | 0.564 |
| 4 | 12 | Rob HUFF |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 18 | 2:09.291 | 0.928 |
| 5 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI |  |
Honda Racing Team JAS | Honda Civic WTCC | 15 | 2:09.389 | 1.026 |
| 6 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER |  |
RC Motorsport | LADA Vesta WTCC | 18 | 2:09.767 | 1.404 |
| 7 | 61 | Néstor GIROLAMI | |
Polestar Cyan Racing | Volvo S60 Polestar | 14 | 2:09.993 | 1.630 |
| 8 | 9 | Tom CORONEL | |
ROAL Motorsport | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 16 | 2:10.045 | 1.682 |
| 9 | 62 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
Polestar Cyan Racing | Volvo S60 Polestar | 13 | 2:10.167 | 1.804 |
| 10 | 3 | Tom CHILTON | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 12 | 2:10.584 | 2.221 |
| 11 | 24 | Kevin GLEASON |  |
RC Motorsport | LADA Vesta WTCC | 17 | 2:10.656 | 2.293 |
| 12 | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 15 | 2:10.725 | 2.362 |
| 13 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Citroën C-Elysée WTCC | 16 | 2:11.612 | 3.249 |
| 14 | 11 | Kris RICHARD |  |
Campos Racing | Chevrolet RML Cruze TC1 | 15 | 2:12.475 | 4.112 |
| 15 | 26 | Filipe Clemente DE SOUZA |  |
RC Motorsport | LADA Vesta WTCC | 11 | 2:15.017 | 6.654 |
| 16 | 99 | Dániel NAGY | |
Zengő Motorsport Kft | Honda Civic WTCC | 15 | 2:15.201 | 6.838 |
| 17 | 66 | Zsolt Dávid SZABÓ | |
Zengő Motorsport Kft | Honda Civic WTCC | 0 | No time | N/A |