Photo: Tamara Aller

Yann Ehrlacher tops red-flagged opening practice at Vila Real

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Cyan Racing driver Yann Ehrlacher set the fastest lap time in the opening free practice session at Vila Real, host of the fourth round of the 2025 FIA TCR World Tour season.

The Lynk & Co driver set a best lap-time of 2:00.256, seven-tenths ahead of Honda’s Esteban Guerrieri.

The Cyan Racing trio formed by Thed Björk, Santiago Urrutia and Ma Qing Hua followed in positions three to five, with the Chinese driver one second behind his team-mate Ehrlacher.

Hyundai driver Norbert Michelisz was sixth, 1.3 seconds off the pace and two-tenths ahead of his team-mate Mikel Azcona, who caused a red flag half-way through the session as he hit a tyre barrier at the second chicane.

The session was restarted, but no driver was able to improve their lap times, with the heat already playing a factor despite the early morning schedule.

Series returnee Dušan Borković (Honda) was eighth for GOAT Racing, with Cupra driver Aurélien Comte and Hyundai’s Néstor Girolami completing the top ten, 3.4 seconds from the top time.

The FIA TCR World Tour field returns to the track at 12:40 local time (13:40 CEST) for the second free practice session.