Bruno Spengler on pole-position for the DTM season opener
Hockenheim. With an exciting qualifying session and a few surprises, the DTM started into the new season at the Hockenheimring Baden-W?rttemberg. The battle for the best grid position was claimed by Mercedes-Benz driver Bruno Spengler for the third time in his DTM career. With a lap time of 1:34.369 minutes, Spengler secured himself starting place number one for Sunday?s race. Lined up alongside Spengler on the front row of the grid will be Audi driver Martin Tomczyk. DTM novice Paul di Resta caused a big surprise: with the AMG Mercedes C-Class from 2005, the Scot qualified in third place. For DTM record champion Bernd Schneider, qualifying was over after two heats already. The reigning champion will be starting from ninth position on Sunday.
Qualifying in detail
Air temperature: 19.5 ?C
Track temperature: 29.2 ?C
13.28 hrs Qualifying starts. La Rosa is the first driver to go out
13.32 hrs Mike Rockenfeller sets the first fastest time: 1:35.039
13.33 hrs Timo Scheider claims first place with 1:35.039
13.34 hrs Bruno Spengler is on top with 1:34.824
13.37 hrs Bernd Schneider is second with 1:34.993
13.39 hrs Daniel La Rosa moves up into second place with 1:34.948
13.41 hrs At the moment, Mika H?kkinen is only 15th
13.42 hrs Time is over. Spengler remains first frim Kristensen (1:34.919). H?kkinen improves from 17th to seventh.
13.43 hrs Ekstr?m sets the fastest time: 1:34.647. Tomczyk improves to third with 1:34.849.
13.44 hrs Ekstr?m remains first from Spengler, Tomczyk, Kristensen, La Rosa, Schneider, Margaritis, Scheider, H?kkinen, Green, Stoddart, Di Resta, Rockenfeller and Paffett.
13.45 hrs Drivers not making it into the second heat are Abt, Lauda, Carroll, Pr?mat, Luhr and Ickx.
13.49 hrs Start of the second heat, 10 minutes for the top 14 drivers. Daniel La Rosa is the first driver out.
13.52 hrs Bruno Spengler is fastest with 1:34.563
13.53 hrs Mattias Ekstr?m claims first place: 1:34.329
13.55 hrs Mattias Ekstr?m is leading from Martin Tomczyk, Bruno Spengler is second.
13.57 hrs One minute to go. At the moment, Margaritis, Rockenfeller, Kristensen, Stoddart, Green and Paffett are out.
13.59 hrs Kristensen moves up into seventh, pushes Schneider out of the top eight.
14.00 hrs End of the session: Ekstr?m is fastest from Tomczyk, Scheider, Spengler, H?kkinen, Di Resta, Kristensen und La Rosa.
14.01 hrs The following drivers are not making it into the final heat: Schneider, Margaritis, Rockenfeller, Stoddart, Green and Paffett.
14.06 hrs The third and final heat starts, Tomczyk is the first driver to go out on the track.
14.10 hrs Di Resta is fastest with 1:34.449
14.11 hrs Bruno Spengler claims first place with 1:34.369
14.12 hrs Daniel La Rosa can't drive anymore this session due to power steering failure.
14.14 hrs Martin Tomczyk outpaces Paul di Resta and claims second place: 1:34.446
14.15 hrs Timo Scheider is cruising very slowly on the track.
14.16 hrs End of the session. Bruno Spengler claims the third pole of his DTM career. Tomczyk is second from Paul di Resta, who is a sensational third with his two-year old car, followed by Ekstr?m, Kristensen, Scheider, H?kkinen and La Rosa.
