As it was expected, Belgian teams were the fastest in TCR Europe’s first Free Practice at Spa-Francorchamps.
Jean-Karl Vernay posted the fastest lap of 2:31.416 in his Audi RS3 LMS run by WRT under the banner of Leopard Lukoil Racing, while Maxime Potty was second fastest (2:31.670) in the Comtoyou Racing Volkswagen Golf GTI. They were the only two drivers to complete a lap under the 2:32 mark.
The first significant time was set by Stian Paulsen in his Cupra TCR at 2:32.810; a couple of minute later, Vernay improved to 2:32.334 and then, halfway through the 30-minute session, Dušan Borković clocked a new provisional fastest lap of 2:32.064 in the Target Competition Hyundai i30 N.
No one else improved until the final five minutes when Vernay posted the fastest lap for good. Afterwards, Stefano Comini climbed to third in his new Honda Civic (2:32.329) but was demoted to fourth when Potty set the second fastest lap of 2:32.023 that he improved further to 2:31.670 in the dying seconds.
Vernay, Potty, Borković, Comini and Paulsen filled the top five positions of the timesheet in five different cars: Audi, Volkswagen, Hyundai, Honda and Cupra. Behind them, Josh Files ranked sixth (2:33.246), Francisco Mora seventh (2:33.353), Reece Barr eighth (2:33.451) in a brand new Hyundai that replaces the one destroyed in the incident at the start of Zandvoort’s Race 1, championship co-leader Mikel Azcona ninth (2:33.727) and Kris Richard tenth (2:34.095).
Attila Tassi did not take part in the session as he is still on the way to Belgium after his flight was cancelled
The second free practice session is scheduled at 16:35.