Rob Huff headed Leopard Racing team-mate Jean-Karl Vernay in qualifying for the TCR International Series at the Zhejiang Circuit in China, giving Vernay the new championship lead as a result.
Huff’s time of 1 minute 33.173 seconds came in the final minute of the all-important Q2 session, demoting title contender Vernay to second but giving the Frenchman a clear advantage with his team-mate alongside him on the front row.
Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Pepe Oriola was third after a strong lap late in the session, ahead of WestCoast Racing’s Gianni Morbidelli in fourth.
Dan Lloyd put his Craft-Bamboo SEAT in fifth after a strong end to the session with several late improvements, ahead of the leading Honda Civic of M1RA’s Roberto Colciago in sixth.
The second M1RA car of Attila Tassi was seventh, and as a result the young Hungarian lost the lead of the championship as he failed to pick up any bonus points.
James Nash put his Craft-Bamboo SEAT in eighth, whilst GE-Force’s Davit Kajaia and Comtoyou Racing’s Frédéric Vervisch completed the top ten and secured the reverse-grid front row for race two.
That left rookie Comtoyou Racing driver Denis Dupont and Boutsen-Ginion Racing’s Aurélien Panis to start from 11th and 12th respectively for both races, having just missed out on the reverse grid.
Although the two Hyundai drivers set the pace in Q1, it had already been determined prior to the session that the cars, running on a temporary homologation, would not be allowed through to Q2 should the situation arise.
However, in being first and second fastest in Q1, Alain Menu and Gabriele Tarquini have secured them and the car the best possible starting position for race one, where they will line up in 13th and 14th position respectively.
Frenchman Aurélien Panis had originally been 13th quickest in Q1, which would normally have seen the Boutsen-Ginion Racing driver miss the cut, but he and 14th placed Frédéric Vervisch were allowed through due to the Hyundai’s ineligibility.
That meant that the first driver to miss the cut was GE-Force Alfa Romeo racer Dušan Borković in 15th, along with defending champion and the visibly frustrated Stefano Comini in 16th, who was behind his Comtoyou Racing team-mate once again.
TCR International newcomer Zhendong Zhang put his ZZZ Team Audi in 17th on the grid, directly ahead of team-mate Tengyi Jiang in 18th.
Mat’o Homola once again endured engine woes in his DG Sport Compétition Opel and failed to set a time in Q1, leaving the Slovakian racer to start last for both of Sunday’s races.
Q2 results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 3 | Rob HUFF |  |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 6 | 1:33.173 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY |  |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 7 | 1:33.341 | 0.168 |
| 3 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 6 | 1:33.486 | 0.313 |
| 4 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI |  |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 6 | 1:33.804 | 0.631 |
| 5 | 17 | Daniel LLOYD | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 5 | 1:33.817 | 0.644 |
| 6 | 5 | Roberto COLCIAGO | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 7 | 1:34.088 | 0.915 |
| 7 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 5 | 1:34.143 | 0.970 |
| 8 | 54 | James NASH | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 6 | 1:34.158 | 0.985 |
| 9 | 16 | Davit KAJAIA |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 6 | 1:34.170 | 0.997 |
| 10 | 6 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 6 | 1:34.494 | 1.321 |
| 11 | 4 | Denis DUPONT | |
Comtoyou Racing | SEAT León TCR | 6 | 1:34.809 | 1.636 |
| 12 | 28 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 6 | 1:34.929 | 1.756 |
Q1 results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 33 | Alain MENU |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 9 | 1:32.811 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI | |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 8 | 1:32.935 | 0.124 |
| 3 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:33.279 | 0.468 |
| 4 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 8 | 1:33.476 | 0.665 |
| 5 | 3 | Rob HUFF | |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 1:33.503 | 0.692 |
| 6 | 9 | Attila TASSI | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 11 | 1:33.786 | 0.975 |
| 7 | 5 | Roberto COLCIAGO | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 11 | 1:33.877 | 1.066 |
| 8 | 17 | Daniel LLOYD | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 7 | 1:33.893 | 1.082 |
| 9 | 54 | James NASH | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 9 | 1:34.085 | 1.274 |
| 10 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 6 | 1:34.266 | 1.455 |
| 11 | 16 | Davit KAJAIA | |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 10 | 1:34.374 | 1.563 |
| 12 | 4 | Denis DUPONT | |
Comtoyou Racing | SEAT León TCR | 11 | 1:34.508 | 1.697 |
| 13 | 28 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 11 | 1:34.515 | 1.704 |
| 14 | 6 | Frédéric VERVISCH | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 6 | 1:34.539 | 1.728 |
| 15 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 11 | 1:34.651 | 1.840 |
| 16 | 1 | Stefano COMINI | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 11 | 1:34.856 | 2.045 |
| 17 | 81 | Zhendong ZHANG |  |
ZZZ Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 11 | 1:34.872 | 2.061 |
| 18 | 71 | Tengyi JIANG | |
ZZZ Team | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 8 | 1:36.075 | 3.264 |
| 19 | 18 | Duncan ENDE |  |
Icarus Motorsports | SEAT León TCR | 9 | 1:36.328 | 3.517 |
| 20 | 99 | Rafaël GALIANA | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:36.496 | 3.685 |