27th November, 2010
Paul Di Resta on pole position in Shanghai
DTM
Shanghai. Two of the three candidates for the 2010 DTM championship title will be on the front row of the grid for the DTM season finale in Shanghai. For the fourth time this year, Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz) will be starting from the best grid position for a race: in an action-packed qualifying, the Brit claimed pole position for the finale on the street circuit in the Chinese metropolis. His team-mate Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) will be lining up alongside him on the front row of the grid. Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz) and Timo Scheider (Audi) qualified third and fourth. Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz) will be starting from 17th place into the final round of the season. An extensive press release with quotes will follow shortly.
Qualifying in detail
Air temperature: 20.5 °C
Asphalt temperature: 24.7 °C
15:20 hrs Start of qualifying.
15:23 hrs Winkelhock is on top with 1:02.447, but is then toppled by Spengler: 1:02.170.
15:24 hrs Spengler improves to 1:01.005, Molina is now second with 1:01.143.
15:25 hrs Molina is now on top with 1:00.445.
15:26 hrs Gary Paffett is now fastest with 1:00.077, but takes the escape road on his next lap. Darryl O'Young clips the wall, only losing his right rear-view mirror.
15:28 hrs Red flag. Bruno Spengler into the wall. Winkelhock is fastest with 59.873, followed by Schumacher, Molina, Paffett, Spengler, Rockenfeller, O'Young, Coulthard, Green, Engel, Scheider, Cheng, Tomczyk and Di Resta.
15:31 hrs Next session starts at 15.35 local time, 13.00 minutes on the clock.
15:35 hrs Start of the next session.
15:36 hrs Winkelhock under investigation.
15:37 hrs Green is currently on top with 1:04.675, then Ekström takes over with 1:00.785.
15:38 hrs Di Resta is now fastest with 59:804
15:39 hrs Darryl O'Young takes the escape road.
15:40 hrs Green is now on top: 59:753.
15:41 hrs Di Resta improves to 59:455, setting the fastest lap time so far with six minutes remaining.
15:44 hrs Paffett improves to second with 59:520, then Tomczyk sets the fast time with 49.314, then Molina takes first place with 59.252.
15:44 hrs Red flag after crash of O'Young at the pit lane entry after he made contact with the wall coming out of the corner before.
15:46 hrs Molina is fastest from Tomczyk, Di Resta, Paffett, Scheider, Coulthard, Winkelhock, Green, Schumacher, Stoddart, Rockenfeller, Engel, Ekström, Cheng, O'Young, Jarvis and Legge.
15:47 hrs The third session will last 10.30 minutes, all drivers will continue.
15:51 hrs Start of the third session at 15.56 local time.
15:53 hrs Katherine Legge under investigation.
15:55 hrs Penalty of 400 Euros for speeding in the pit lane.
15:56 hrs Start of Q3 with 16 cars (all bar O'Young and Spengler). Tomczyk is the first driver on the track.
16:00 hrs Susie Stoddart fastest with 59:750, all the others above one minute.
16:00 hrs Di Resta fastest with 59:558. Susie Stoddart into the wall, but she can make it back into the pits.
16:02 hrs It looks like Bruno Spengler can go out again - and he does!
16:03 hrs Di Resta is fastest with 59:382, Paffett is second with 59:454.
16:03 hrs Di Resta improves to 58:937.
16:06 hrs Big crash by Scheider on the main straight. Red flag. Scheider escapes unhurt.
16:07 hrs Di Resta is fastest from Paffett, Green, Scheider, Winkelhock, Coulthard, Molina, Tomczyk, Ekström, Jarvis, Schumacher, Stoddart, Rockenfeller, Legge, Engel, Cheng and Spengler.
16:22 hrs Start of Q4 at 16.28 local time.
16:28 hrs Timo Scheider does not start in Q4.
16:31 hrs Jamie Green spins and hits the tyre wall.
16:33 hrs No restart. End of Q4. Di Resta inherits pole from Paffett, Green and Scheider.
