Peter Rikli claimed pole position for the opening race of the 2017 FIA European Touring Car Cup season, beating team-mate and fellow Swiss Honda driver Christjohannes Schreiber to top spot.

The ETCC stalwart’s best time of 1m59.255s was 0.294s faster than Schreiber’s effort as Schreiber’s former team-mate Petr Fulín completed the podium for Křenek Motorsport following a last-gasp charge in his SEAT.

Czech Fulín was prevented from taking to the track early in the session while a faulty fuel pump was repaired before he spent a handful of laps bedding in new brakes. But once up to top speed, Fulín beat ETCC rookie Zsolt David Szabo to third with his last run.

Szabo’s Zengő Motorsport team-mate and fellow Hungarian Norbert Nagy was fifth with Bulgaria’s ETCC returnee Plamen Kralev sixth in an Audi RS3 LMS. Former FIA European Hillclimb champion Igor Stefanovski from Macedonia took seventh with Portugal’s Fábio Mota, Germany’s Andreas Pfister and Mladen Lalušić, from Serbia, completing the top 10.

Kraf Racing-run Kralev was the first to set a time in the 30-minute session but he was soon outpaced by Rikli who was also the first to break the two-minute barrier with a 1m59.997s. Rikli went even quicker soon after with a 1m59.977s before Schreiber snatched the provisional pole with 12 minutes remaining, only for Rikli to go quicker still with a margin of 0.294s.

“We weren't very sure at the beginning if we would be able to achieve what we achieved today and it wasn't very clear what would happen with the new [type of tyres], but it was a team effort and thanks to the good work of our team we achieved what we did today,” said Rikli, who scores three ETCC points for his capture of pole.

Fulín added: “It was a very crazy qualifying for us. During the Free Practice we had an absolutely good car. When I left the tent we found some problem concerning the fuel pump. That’s why we had to change it and, by the way, I have to thank the guys from SEAT as it was very important for us. I had new brake pads, that's why I spent two laps to make them work. One lap before [my final effort] I was eighth or something like this, that’s why I am very happy to be here."

Sunday’s races take place over nine laps with Race 1 due to begin at 09h00 followed by Race 2 at 10h05 live on Eurosport 2. Both races will be streamed live at FIAETCC.com.