The BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse driver strung together personal-best efforts in four of the five sectors - and the fastest times of all in sectors two and five - to take pole with a 2m28.640s that left him three tenths clear.

It marked the Argentinian’s first pole at the Macau Guia Race and his first in the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour, and it also ensured BRC Hyundai N Squadra Corse delivered on its promise in Macao - as Girolami’s teammate Mikel Azcona, the weekend’s benchmark driver previously, faded in Q2.

Azcona was fastest in Q1 and his time there would have given him pole had he replicated it in Q2. But he sustained damage to his Hyundai Elantra N TCR on his first flying lap of Q2, which required a visit to the pitlane - where a mechanic kicked out the right-rear corner of the car from inside its boot.

The Spaniard was able to return to the track but could only manage the seventh-fastest time.

Girolami’s pole also added complexion to the Kumho FIA TCR World Tour title battle between Cyan Racing Lynk & Co team-mates Yann Ehrlacher and Thed Björk, as he denied Ehrlacher - who added only two points to his lead over third-place qualifier Björk. That now stands at 36 points with 60 on offer in the two Macao races.

Norbert Michelisz was fourth ahead of GOAT Racing Honda duo Ignacio Montenegro and Esteban Guerrieri.

The earlier Q1 session featured an almighty scrap to make the top 12 and a place in Q2, with just four tenths covering four cars either side of the cutoff at the chequered flag.

While Montenegro made himself safe with a 2m30.535s lap, Josh Buchan, Max Hart, Lo Sze Ho, Aurélien Comte and Pepe Oriola all entered the final moments of the session on the bubble.

Oriola’s slim chances were compromised at Lisboa when he was forced to take a tighter line, then were ended altogether when he hit the wall exiting Police Bend. Comte - a three-time race winner this season - improved on his run but fell an agonizing 0.019s short of a Q2 spot in 13th in his SP Compétition CUPRA Leon VZ TCR.

Having made Q2, Buchan went on to beat Lo and Hart to the 10th-fastest time in his HMO Customer Racing Hyundai, giving him the reversed-grid pole for Sunday’s Macau Guia Race.