GOAT Racing’s Felipe Fernández Gil led the way in the opening TCR Europe free practice session at Spa-Francorchamps on Thursday, over a second clear of Monlau Motorsport’s Franco Girolami.
TCR Europe is featuring a slightly expanded field for its second Belgian event of the year, thanks to the addition of CUPRAs for Monlau’s Eric Gené and Baldan Group’s Jimmy Clairet, taking the entry to 14 cars for the legendary circuit.
Fernández comfortably led the way in his Honda, going top late in the session to edge out the CUPRA of Girolami by a significant margin of 1.115 seconds.
Baldan was third quickest in the sole Audi in the field, a further two tenths of a second back at a circuit where the second-generation RS3 TCR has only once previously won, in 2023.
Early pace setter Aurélien Comte put his SP Compétition CUPRA in fourth, ahead of the ALM Motorsport Honda of Ignacio Montenegro in fifth, the Argentine being the only other driver within two seconds of the pace.
MA:GP’s Viktor Andersson was sixth in his Lynk & Co, ahead of Jimmy Clairet in seventh in a CUPRA run by Baldan Group with Comtoyou, the Frenchman making his return to the series for the first time since 2021.
The top ten was completed by the Hondas of Ruben Volt and Rubén Fernández Gil, and the CUPRA of Viktor Davidovski.
Second practice is scheduled to get underway at 09:00 CEST (08:00 BST).
Session results
| POS | NO | NAT | DRIVER | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 19 |  |
Felipe FERNÁNDEZ Gil | GOAT Racing | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 9 | 2:29.544 | – |
| 2 | 72 |  |
Franco GIROLAMI | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA León VZ TCR | 10 | 2:30.659 | 1.115 |
| 3 | 8 |  |
Nicola BALDAN | Baldan Group by Comtoyou | Audi RS3 LMS TCR II | 9 | 2:30.866 | 1.322 |
| 4 | 7 |  |
Aurélien COMTE | SP Compétition | CUPRA León VZ TCR | 7 | 2:31.028 | 1.484 |
| 5 | 23 | |
Ignacio MONTENEGRO | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 9 | 2:31.386 | 1.842 |
| 6 | 10 |  |
Viktor ANDERSSON | MA:GP | Lynk & Co 03 TCR | 8 | 2:31.570 | 2.026 |
| 7 | 16 | |
Jimmy CLAIRET | Baldan Group by Comtoyou | CUPRA León VZ TCR | 8 | 2:31.606 | 2.062 |
| 8 | 27 |  |
Ruben VOLT | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 10 | 2:31.801 | 2.257 |
| 9 | 11 | |
Rubén FERNÁNDEZ Gil | GOAT Racing | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 10 | 2:31.859 | 2.315 |
| 10 | 110 |  |
Viktor DAVIDOVSKI | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA León VZ TCR | 11 | 2:31.896 | 2.352 |
| 11 | 33 | |
Santiago CONCEPCIÓN | GOAT Racing | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 9 | 2:32.027 | 2.483 |
| 12 | 34 |  |
Giovanni SCAMARDI | SP Compétition | CUPRA León VZ TCR | 9 | 2:32.112 | 2.568 |
| 13 | 21 | |
Eric GENÉ | Monlau Motorsport | CUPRA León VZ TCR | 8 | 2:32.221 | 2.677 |
| 14 | 64 |  |
Levente LOSONCZY | ALM Motorsport | Honda Civic Type-R FL5 TCR | 10 | 2:32.436 | 2.892 |