Photo: TCR Europe

Mike Halder fastest on opening day at Hungaroring

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Mike Halder emerged as the fastest driver at the end of the opening day of TCR Europe action at the Hungaroring, leading an ALM Motorsport Honda one-two in second practice.

Halder’s time of 1m51.800 was just over half a second quicker than FP1 pacesetter Felipe Fernández, who ended up 16th in the second session.

Ruben Volt was second quickest to Halder in the afternoon, his time just a fraction faster than Fernández’s best from the morning, to consolidate a lock-out for the Honda Civic Type-R.

Indeed, Honda proved the fastest car across both practice sessions. Fernández was one of four Civic Type-Rs inside the top 10 in the morning session, while three occupied the first places in the afternoon.

Outside the top two, Adam Shepherd was the highest-placed Cupra León VZ TCR for Monlau Motorsport in third, heading a trio of Hyundai Elantra N TCRs of Junui Park (Solite Indigo Racing), Alex Ley and Gabriele Covini (BRC Racing Team).

Marco Butti was seventh quickest in the second of the Monlau Motorsport Cupras, with PMA Motorsport Audi team-mates Nicolas Taylor and Nicola Baldan at the lower end of the top 10.

Baldan, who was ninth quickest in the morning session, faces an uphill battle this weekend with 40kg of compensation weight following his victory and third-place finish at Paul Ricard last time out.

Points leader and Paul Ricard race two winner Taylor was 13th in the morning session, just ahead of Halder and Shepherd.

Keen to bounce back from a poor weekend in France, Fernández had struck late in opening practice, setting a best time of 1:52.322 inside the final minute.

The Spaniard’s effort was just 16-thousandths of a second quicker than Butti, with both getting the better of Santiago Concepción’s Honda Civic Type-R, the latter having led for much of the session.

Both Max Hart (ALM Motorsport Honda Civic Type-R) and Junesung Park (Solite Indigo Racing Hyundai) had a low-key start to the weekend in practice. Hart was only 17th quickest in FP2 before improving slightly to 12th in the afternoon.

Park, meanwhile, was 12th quickest in the morning before setting the 13th best time in FP2.

Next up for TCR Europe is qualifying, which is scheduled ton take place on Saturday at 10:50 CEST.