Norbert Michelisz set the pace in opening World Touring Car Cup practice in Macau, edging Yvan Muller.

Michelisz worked his way down to a 2:30.460 best around the narrow street track, leaving the BRC Hyundai driver 0.139s ahead of Muller’s Cyan Racing Lynk & Co machine.

Audi’s Jean-Karl Vernay and Macau specialist Rob Huff (Volkswagen) ensured there were four manufacturers inside the top four, with Yann Ehrlacher taking fifth aboard his Cyan Racing Lynk & Co.

Tom Coronel, Andy Priaulx and Nicky Catsburg followed next, ahead of the impressive Mikel Azcona who led the way among the Macau first-timers in ninth place. The Spaniard wound up just under a second off the pace in his PWR Racing Cupra.

Mehdi Bennani rounded out the top ten for SLR Volkswagen.

It was an unexceptional session for the Honda cars, with 2016 Macau Guia Race winner Tiago Monteiro the top Civic TCR runner in 14th some 1.6 seconds off the pace. Münnich Motorsport duo Nestor Girolami and championship leader Esteban Guerrieri, meanwhile, could only manage 19th and 23rd respectively.

The first red flag of the weekend flew just 13 minutes into FP1, when reigning champion Gabriele Tarquini went head on into the barriers at Police corner and stranded his BRC Hyundai. Running just behind, Robert Dahlgren – who is temporarily replacing Daniel Haglöf at PWR Racing this weekend – was forced to steer off the track in avoidance but managed to escape damage.

Dahlgren eventually recovered to post the 13th fastest time of the session.

KCMG’s Attila Tassi then beached his Honda Civic TCR in the barriers at Moorish Hill at the fall of the chequered flag.

Other drivers to hit early trouble included wild card entries Arthur Law – who came to a brief halt at the Melco hairpin and then tagged the exit barriers at Lisboa – and James Tang, who crashed his Team TRC Honda in the mountain section in the dying seconds.

Free Practice 2 takes place at 13.40 local time / 06.40 CET.