Engstler Motorsport’s Luca Engstler set the pace in a delayed first practice for the TCR International Series at Oschersleben, with the German almost a second clear of second-fastest Pepe Oriola.
The session was delayed by almost two hours, with an overnight fire at a nearby electricity substation denying the circuit and local area power in the morning.
When the session eventually began, Engstler wasted little time in getting to the top of the timesheets in one of his Volkswagen Golf GTi cars, posting the fastest lap of 1 minute 32.043 seconds after ten minutes.
The 17-year-old is also competing in the supporting TCR Germany Series this weekend, where he has a separate Golf waiting for him to use.
In the end the rest of the field saw their chances to get close to Engstler’s time wiped out when the red flags flew with five minutes to go in the session, due to fluid being dropped at Turn 7 causing at least half a dozen drivers to go off into the gravel.
Due to the already delayed timetable the decision was taken not to resume the session.
Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Oriola ended up second quickest, having improved his time at the half-way stage. The Spaniard earlier pushed the limits of the circuit, going straight on at the part of Turn 1 which is not being used this weekend, with the less severe left-hander being employed.
Leopard Racing’s Jaap Van Lagen was third quickest on his return to the series, ahead of team-mate Rob Huff in fourth.
TCR newcomer Aurélien Panis was fifth in his Boutsen-Ginion Racing Honda, although the Frenchman was also reported to be being manually timed due to a transponder failure.
Dan Lloyd, who ended the session beached in the Turn 7 gravel, was sixth in his Craft-Bamboo SEAT, ahead of Stain Paulsen in seventh.
WestCoast Racing’s Giacomo Altoè, GE-Force’s Dušan Borković and Comtoyou Racing’s Frédéric Vervisch completed the top ten.
Reigning champion Stefano Comini was just 17th fastest in his Comtoyou Racing Audi, as the Swiss driver also spread gravel over the circuit at Turn 7 just before the red flags flew when he went off.
Second practice is scheduled to take place at 12:35 CEST (11:35 BST) with qualifying unchanged at 15:00 CEST (14:00 BST).
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 8 | Luca ENGSTLER |  |
Junior Team Engstler | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:32.043 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 74 | Pepe ORIOLA |  |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 11 | 1:33.021 | 0.978 |
| 3 | 14 | Jaap VAN LAGEN |  |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 9 | 1:33.443 | 1.400 |
| 4 | 3 | Rob HUFF |  |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 11 | 1:33.495 | 1.452 |
| 5 | 28 | Aurélien PANIS |  |
Boutsen Ginion Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 8 | 1:33.611 | 1.568 |
| 6 | 17 | Daniel LLOYD | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 1:33.668 | 1.625 |
| 7 | 34 | Stian PAULSEN |  |
Stian Paulsen Racing | SEAT León TCR | 10 | 1:33.744 | 1.701 |
| 8 | 21 | Giacomo ALTOÈ |  |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 12 | 1:33.757 | 1.714 |
| 9 | 62 | Dušan BORKOVIĆ |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 9 | 1:33.786 | 1.743 |
| 10 | 6 | Frédéric VERVISCH |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 1:33.843 | 1.800 |
| 11 | 38 | Danny KROES | |
Ferry Monster Autosport | SEAT León TCR | 12 | 1:33.904 | 1.861 |
| 12 | 2 | Jean-Karl VERNAY | |
Leopard Racing Team WRT | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:33.904 | 1.861 |
| 13 | 54 | James NASH | |
Lukoil Craft-Bamboo Racing | SEAT León TCR | 12 | 1:34.117 | 2.074 |
| 14 | 70 | Mat’o HOMOLA |  |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 11 | 1:34.204 | 2.161 |
| 15 | 9 | Attila TASSI |  |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 11 | 1:34.400 | 2.357 |
| 16 | 5 | Roberto COLCIAGO | |
M1RA | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 11 | 1:34.424 | 2.381 |
| 17 | 1 | Stefano COMINI |  |
Comtoyou Racing | Audi RS3 LMS TCR | 12 | 1:34.534 | 2.491 |
| 18 | 10 | Gianni MORBIDELLI | |
West Coast Racing | Volkswagen Golf GTi TCR | 10 | 1:34.820 | 2.777 |
| 19 | 16 | Davit KAJAIA |  |
GE-Force | Alfa Romeo Giulietta TCR | 8 | 1:34.822 | 2.779 |
| 20 | 18 | Duncan ENDE |  |
Icarus Motorsports | SEAT León TCR | 9 | 1:34.932 | 2.889 |
| 21 | 66 | Grégoire DEMOUSTIER | |
DG Sport Compétition | Opel Astra TCR | 10 | 1:35.517 | 3.474 |
| 22 | 11 | Jens Reno MØLLER |  |
Reno Racing | Honda Civic Type-R TCR | 11 | 1:36.887 | 4.844 |
| 23 | 55 | Ferenc FICZA | |
ZengÅ‘ Motorsport | KIA Cee’d TCR | 8 | 1:37.456 | 5.413 |