Audi driver Jamie Green was on top for the DTM Series practice at the Moscow Raceway.
Behind the Brit, was fellow Briton Gary Paffett and Mike Rockenfeller a positive sign given the high speed collision the pair endured at the Norisring last time out.
Rockenfeller, was an uncertainty for the weekend after breaking the fifth metatarsal in his left foot – as a result the German had a bandage and a race boot specially made to accommodate the injury.
“The big question for me was whether I would be able to drive at all with that foot, but it went quite well,” said Rockenfeller. “We can still make some improvements on the pedals to make things easier for me. All in all, it was a good start of the weekend.”
Nyck de Vries had been placed on standby by Audi but Rockenfeller has been given the green light to take part in the weekend.
Fourth placed was Paul di Resta ahead of the lead BMW of Augusto Farfus with championship leader Mattias Ekström.
Edoardo Mortara, Loic Duval, Nico Muller and Marco Wittmann rounded off the top ten.
Sixteen out of the eighteen drivers were covered by less than a second, with the Mercedes duo of Robert Wickens and Maro Engel not covered by the margin.
The second practice session takes place at 10.50 local time tomorrow morning ahead of the first qualifying and race of the weekend.
