2nd July, 2011
Bruno Spengler on pole position at Norisring
DTM
Nuremberg. For the fourth time this season, Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz) will be starting from pole position into a DTM race: in qualifying for the fifth season round at the Norisring, the Franco-Canadian set the fastest lap time in the fourth heart: 48.222 seconds. Team-mate Gary Paffett was 0.196 seconds down, only just missing out on first place, but will be lining up second on the front row alongside Spengler. Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz) and Mattias Ekström (Audi) qualified on the second row of the starting grid. Points’ leader Martin Tomczyk (Audi), will be starting from tenth place into the race at the only street circuit on the DTM calendar. A full press release with quotes will follow shortly.
Qualifying in detail
Air temperature: 15.7 °C
Asphalt temperature: 22.3 °C
12.10 hrs Start of the session, 16 minutes on the clock. Frey and Stoddart are the first drivers on the track.
12.13 hrs Albuquerque is fastest with 48.600.
12.14 hrs Coulthard on top with 48.429, the toppled by Vietoris: 48.429.
12.16 hrs Molina is second fastest, only 0.009 seconds behind Vietoris, but then Engel takes first place with 48.214.
12.17 hrs Mortara is now second, followed by Spengler and Ekström.
12.19 hrs Bruno Spengler is now on top: 48.180.
12.26 hrs End of the session. Stoddart, Albuquerque, Rockenfeller and Frey don't make it into the next heat. Spengler remains fastest from Engel, Schumacher, Mortara, Paffett, Ekström, Green, Tomczyk, Scheider, Van der Zande, Vietoris, Molina, Jarvis and Coulthard.
12.33 hrs Start of the next heat, 11 minutes, after which the first eight drivers continue. Van der Zande is the first driver to go out.
12.36 hrs Schumacher is fastest with 48.335, followed by Green, Tomczyk, Jarvis.
12.37 hrs Spengler is now on top with 48.2323.
12.38 hrs Fastest time for Gary Paffett: 48.195, followed by Spengler, Green, Schumacher, Mortara, Ekström, Engel and Tomczyk.
12.42 hrs Currently, Engel, Tomczyk, Jarvis, Vietoris, Coulthard and Van der Zande wouldn't make it into the next heat.
12.43 hrs Tomczyk's right-hand rearview mirror is off at Dutzendteich. Ekström is now fastest with 48.181.
12.44 hrs End of the session. Ekström remains fastest from Paffett, Spengler, Green, Schumacher, Mortara, Engel and Scheider. Not qualified for the third heat are Molina, Tomczyk, Jarvis, Vietoris, Coulthard and Van der Zande.
12.52 hrs Start of the third heat. Spengler is the first driver to go out.
12.54 hrs Fastest time by Ekström: 48.176.
12.55 hrs Jamie Green on top: 48.092.
12.56 hrs Rain sets in. Spengler is second fastest, Paffett third, Schumacher fourth. Then Ekström, Engel, Scheider, Mortara.
12.57 hrs Ekström is now fastest with 48.058.
13.00 hrs All drivers in the pits as it is now raining heavily. No changes in the order anymore: Ekström remains fastest from Spengler, Paffett, Schumacher, Ekström, Engel, Scheider and Mortara.
13.12 hrs Gary Paffett: 48.418.
13.14 hrs Bruno Spengler: 48.222.
13:15 hrs Jamie Green: 48.532.
13.17 hrs Mattias Ekström: 48.593.
