21st August, 2010
Pole position for DTM champion Timo Scheider at Zandvoort
DTM
Zandvoort. The defending champion starts another attack. Audi driver Timo Scheider decided the sixth qualifying of the year in his favour, setting the fastest lap time of 1:31.590 minutes in the deciding fourth qualifying heat at Circuit Park Zandvoort. For Scheider, it is already the third pole at the circuit in the dunes on the Dutch North Sea coast and the eighth pole in his DTM career. “This race at Zandvoort comes exactly at the right time. It is one of my favourite circuits. It is always important to remain patient in life in order to cope with difficult situations, too. I still have unfinished business at Zandvoort, because I still have yet to win a race there in spite of having been on pole twice already. In the race, there is huge pressure on the tyres and the driver. We need a good strategy and a good start. We have to get the first two laps and then we will see”, said 31-year old Scheider.
British driver Gary Paffett, currently third in the drivers’ standings, will start the race from second place. A good thing for the Mercedes-Benz driver: his two fellow Mercedes-Benz drivers, points’ leader Bruno Spengler from Canada and Briton Jamie Green, runner-up in the drivers’ standings, will start from seventh and eleventh place behind Paffett. “I am very happy with my qualifying result. The car was running really well. In the final heat, it wasn’t ideal with the used tyres. Timo had a faster lap, but I am still happy. I have come here to win a race, and that is what I will try to do tomorrow”, said Paffett, the 2005 DTM champion.
Paul Di Resta (GB/Mercedes-Benz) ended up third in qualifying. Spaniard Miguel Molina caused a surprise. With his Audi A4 DTM, the 21-year old made it into the final qualifying heat as the best-placed driver of a 2008-spec car. He will be starting fourth. Swede Mattias Ekström (Audi), who has already scored a race win and two pole positions this season, will be starting from fifth position, one place ahead of his British Audi team-mate Oliver Jarvis. Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes-Benz) again made it into the top ten and will be starting eighth.
Ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard had a setback. With his AMG Mercedes C-Class, the Scot ended up 17th behind the two lady racers, Susie Stoddart (GB/Mercedes-Benz) and Katherine Legge (GB/Audi).
The sixth DTM race of the season will cover a distance of 42 laps. The start is at 14.00 h, ARD live coverage starts at 13.45 h.
