Muller leads Valente after qualifying in Hungary

In the final one-lap shootout, a logistical problem meant Ma Qing Hua was unable to get out to set his lap, leaving Campos Racing’s Hugo Valente to go out first and set a time of 1m49.081s.

That benchmark was unbeaten by either Sebastien Loeb or Lopez, but Muller was able to go faster by two tenths of a second to take his first pole since Spa-Francorchamps last year and end Lopez’s five race pole position streak.

Valente had been given a five-place grid penalty for ignoring the yellow flags in first practice, but the stewards decided to rescind the penalty, allowing the Frenchman to keep his front-row slot ahead of Lopez, Loeb, Ma and Honda's Tiago Monteiro.

The sister works Civic of Gabriele Tarquini meanwhile will start from the back after the Italian touched a kerb at Turn 4 and spun in the opening part of qualifying, damaging the front splitter of the upgraded car and causing the session to be stopped.

Zengo Motorsport’s Norbert Michelisz meanwhile achieved the best result possible outside of an overall pole at his home race by qualifying 10th, which gives the Hungarian pole position for race two ahead of the Chevrolets of Tom Chilton and Tom Coronel and Rob Huff's Lada.

Qualifying results:

Neil Hudson / TouringCarTimes