For the fourth time this year, Audi Team Abt Sportsline’s Robin Frijns is on the pole. Another front-row lock-out for the team from Kempten once with Nico Mueller starting second by just 0.018 seconds. Sheldon van der Linde best of the BMW’s in fourth
It’s been a dry and warm morning at the Lausitzring, in stark contrast to yesterday’s race conditions. Many drivers made the most of the weather resulting in lots of improvements and best times in the early stages of the session. And, after the first runs were completed, Saturday’s race winner Rene Rast was leading with the best time of 1:36.507 with Robin Frijns close behind, 0.042 seconds.
With ten minutes to go, when all drivers returned to the pits after the first runs, championship leader Mueller sat third. Jamie Green, who had been unlucky in yesterday’s qualifying was fourth, just ahead of the best BMW driver Lucas Auer. The Austrian had a gap of around six tenths to the provisional pole time of Rast.
Then, with six minutes to go in the session, drivers head out to the track for their second runs. Mueller and Frijns appeared to be the men to beat – both setting purple sectors. Mueller was the first to cross the line to claim provisional pole. Though, seconds later, Frijns crossed the line with two purple sector times and beat the Swiss to pole with a time of 1:36.344. A gap of just 0.018 split the two teammates. It’s the fourth pole in six qualifying sessions for Frijns.
‘The session was a complete mess from my side,’ said Frijns. ‘In my second attempt, I used the DRS at the wrong moment, so I didn’t have any left for the main straight. So, I lost two-tenths and I thought I had lost the pole position. I hope this time I can stay in this position.’
The second row of the grid is shared between two-time champion Rast and Sheldon van der Linde. The latter improved his time on the seconds runs to a 1:36.615 – a 0.271 gap to Frijns. Green will start fifth – just 0.005 seconds behind the BMW in front of him. Marco Wittmann is second of the BMW’s today in sixth place. Timo Glock, who drove a great recovery race yesterday, will start from seventh ahead of Loic Duval in eighth position. The top ten was completed by Auer and WRT’s rookie Harrison Newey.
Robert Kubica, ex-Formula 1 driver and new to the series scored his best qualifying result of his DTM career so far. He will start the race from 11th on the grid. He beats BMW’s Philipp Eng and Jonathan Aberdein, who will start from 12th and 16th. As well as Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller, who seemed to struggle and therefore has to start from 14th on the grid.
The second race of the weekend will start at 13.30 local time (12.30 local time).
