Yann Ehrlacher put in a late lap to go fastest in first practice for the FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) at Zandvoort, with the Hyundai cars struggling and failing to break into the top ten.
Honda racer Ehrlacher put in a late lap to go fastest in the half-hour session under cloudy skies, with the Frenchman deposing Münnich Motorsport team-mate Esteban Guerrieri, who had been at the top of the times for the preceding 15 minutes, by a mere 0.032 seconds.
Ehrlacher had earlier been on top of the times in the first half of the session as well, before Guerrieri took over at the top of the timesheets.
Third fastest was the leading Audi of three-time BTCC champion Gordon Shedden, with the Scot just over a tenth off the pace, ahead of the Peugeot of DG Sport Compétition’s Aurélien Comte in fourth, with the Frenchman having shot up the times in the final minutes of the session.
Sébastien Loeb Racing’s Rob Huff put his Volkswagen in fifth fastest, ahead of the best Comtoyou Racing Audi of Nürburgring star Frédéric Vervisch in sixth.
Shedden’s Leopard Lukoil Racing team-mate Jean-Karl Vernay was seventh, ahead of the second Peugeot of Mat’o Homola in eighth, the Slovakian racer also having been a late improver.
A quick lap late on in the session saw Münnich Motorsport’s James Thompson go ninth, whilst Pepe Oriola put his CUPRA TCR in tenth, ensuring five different brands were represented inside the top ten.
YMR’s Thed Björk was the best of the Hyundai drivers in 11th, with the next best driver being 16th-placed Norbert Michelisz.
BRC Racing’s Gabriele Tarquini required an engine change on his Hyundai and ended the session down in 19th position.
Technical problems for Team Mulsanne’s Gianni Morbidelli saw the Alfa Romeo driver fail to post a time, after the team focussed on change the engine following his accident in race three at the Nürburgring.
Neither Morbidelli nor Tarquini’s engine changes will come with a penalty, with the stewards deeming it to be force majeure.
The only other WTCR track action to take place on Saturday is second practice at 15:00 CEST (14:00 BST).
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 68 | Yann EHRLACHER |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 1:44.967 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 86 | Esteban GUERRIERI |  |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 11 | 1:44.999 | 0.032 |
| 3 | 52 | Gordon SHEDDEN |  |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 6 | 1:45.086 | 0.119 |
| 4 | 7 | Aurélien COMTE | |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 11 | 1:45.269 | 0.302 |
| 5 | 12 | Rob HUFF | |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:45.356 | 0.389 |
| 6 | 22 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Audi Sport Team Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS | 11 | 1:45.413 | 0.446 |
| 7 | 69 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Audi Sport Leopard Lukoil Team | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 1:45.490 | 0.523 |
| 8 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Peugeot 308 TCR | 12 | 1:45.596 | 0.629 |
| 9 | 15 | James THOMPSON | |
ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 13 | 1:45.636 | 0.669 |
| 10 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 13 | 1:45.702 | 0.735 |
| 11 | 11 | Thed BJÖRK |  |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 1:45.799 | 0.832 |
| 12 | 63 | Benjamin LESSENNES | |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 1:45.913 | 0.946 |
| 13 | 23 | Nathanaël BERTHON | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 1:46.086 | 1.119 |
| 14 | 25 | Mehdi BENNANI |  |
Sébastien Loeb Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 13 | 1:46.091 | 1.124 |
| 15 | 20 | Denis DUPONT | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 12 | 1:46.152 | 1.185 |
| 16 | 5 | Norbert MICHELISZ |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 14 | 1:46.206 | 1.239 |
| 17 | 48 | Yvan MULLER | |
YMR | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 13 | 1:46.300 | 1.333 |
| 18 | 21 | Aurélien PANIS | |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 13 | 1:46.389 | 1.422 |
| 19 | 30 | Gabriele TARQUINI |  |
BRC Racing Team | Hyundai i30 N TCR | 12 | 1:46.461 | 1.494 |
| 20 | 8 | Norbert NAGY | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 12 | 1:46.593 | 1.626 |
| 21 | 27 | John FILIPPI | |
Team Oscaro by Campos Racing | CUPRA TCR | 14 | 1:46.710 | 1.743 |
| 22 | 9 | Tom CORONEL |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type R TCR | 12 | 1:46.754 | 1.787 |
| 23 | 2 | Bernhard VAN ORANJE NASSAU | |
Bas Koeten Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 14 | 1:46.761 | 1.794 |
| 24 | 88 | Fabrizio GIOVANARDI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 12 | 1:46.778 | 1.811 |
| 25 | 3 | Michael VERHAGEN | |
Bas Koeten Racing | Audi RS3 LMS | 13 | 1:47.106 | 2.139 |
| 26 | 66 | Zsolt Dávid SZABÓ | |
Zengő Motorsport | CUPRA TCR | 14 | 1:47.416 | 2.449 |
| 27 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
Team Mulsanne | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 0 | No time | N/A |