DTM

Hockenheim II: Mercedes qualifying report

Heinz-Harald Frentzen on Pole for the First Time Bruno Spengler Second, Jamie Green Third Four 2006 and one 2005 AMG-Mercedes C-Class cars in the Top-Eight Bruno Spengler (DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes C-Class) will begin his fight for the ...

Edited: Oct 31, 2006, 2:34 AM

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Heinz-Harald Frentzen on Pole for the First Time
Bruno Spengler Second, Jamie Green Third
Four 2006 and one 2005 AMG-Mercedes C-Class cars in the Top-Eight

Bruno Spengler (DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes C-Class) will begin his fight for the runner-up position in the championship in tomorrow's final round of the 2006 DTM from second place on the grid. In the third part of Saturday's qualifying, the Canadian posted a time of 1:33.626 and was 0.108sec behind Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Audi A4 DTM) who clinched his first DTM pole position. Jamie Green (Salzgitter AMG-Mercedes C-Class) qualified third with a 1:33.639.

Mika Häkkinen (AMG-Mercedes C-Class) will start Sunday's race from sixth on grid after setting a time of 1:33.797 ahead of Bernd Schneider (Vodafone AMG-Mercedes C-Class) who was seventh with a 1:33.880. Daniel la Rosa (TrekStor AMG-Mercedes) qualified his last year's C-Class eighth with a 1:35.433.

Schneider posted the fastest lap in the first part of qualifying with a 1:33.780 ahead of Häkkinen with a 1:34.068. Jean Alesi (stern AMG-Mercedes C-Class/1:34.759) ended up 15th after a spin and missed the next round by one thousandth of a second behind the eventual pole sitter Frentzen. Alexandros Margaritis (Easy Rent AMG-Mercedes C- Class/1:34.867), Mathias Lauda (Second Hand AMG Mercedes C- Class/1:35.321) and Susie Stoddart (AutoScout24 AMG Mercedes C- Class/1:35.618) came home 16th, 17th and 19th respectively.

Also in the second part, Schneider was the fastest Mercedes-Benz driver; he was second with a 1:33.821 this time. In the internal team Mücke Motorsport battle La Rosa was eighth with a 1:34.209 and moved up to the final round for the first time whilst Stefan Mücke ended up ninth with a 1:34.256.

Bruno Spengler: "This was a good qualifying. My team had prepared the car perfectly and the second grid position is a great basis for tomorrow. I will give it my all to clinch the runner-up place in the championship. Tom Kristensen will start just three positions behind me; therefore I should not make even the smallest mistake."

Jamie Green: "This qualifying proved again how competitive the DTM is. I had hoped for my fifth pole position in the tenth race of the season, but I didn't succeed. I will start on the clean line of the track and that is a good basis for the start. In all attempts from pole I did not win, maybe it will work out from third place."

Mika Häkkinen: "Sixth position on the grid is not what I had expected; however, the time gap behind pole position is not big and less than three tenths of a second. I look forward to the race; everything is still possible."

Bernd Schneider: "I am disappointed about my seventh grid position. I was just not fast enough and a better place was not possible. I have to fight tomorrow to finish my first race after the title win with a positive result and of course I don't want to disappoint the many fans."

Daniel la Rosa: "After finishing 20th in the morning, I began qualifying more aggressively than usual, because I wanted to do better in any case. Obviously this worked out and it was great to proceed to the final round of qualifying."

Stefan Mücke: "That was close. On my fastest lap I made a mistake at the first sector and therefore lost one and a half tenth of a second; therefore I am ninth instead of being in the top eight."

Jean Alesi: "It is a shame to miss the second round of qualifying by only one thousandth of a second, but that's the competitiveness of the DTM. I gave it my all and pushed a little bit too hard. After my spin a better position was not possible."

Alexandros Margaritis: "We had some problems with the front tyres which we could not solve in the short time of qualifying. Therefore I was not able to move up."

Mathias Lauda: "The gap between the 2004 and the 2005 cars is bigger here than at other circuits. I'm therefore quite satisfied with my 17th grid position and I'm confident for tomorrow's race."

Susie Stoddart: "I hit traffic on my second run and therefore was not able to do better. However, I'm comfortable with the car and optimistic for the race."

Norbert Haug, Vice President Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "Again a thrilling qualifying until the final second. We qualified four 2006 and two 2005 C-Class cars in the top ten which is a good team performance. Bruno missed pole position by one tenth of a second. Starting second on the grid, he has a good basis to clinch second place also in the championship tomorrow."

"Like in Le Mans, Bernd Schneider posted the fastest lap in the first part of qualifying. He presumably likes to overtake -- starting seventh tomorrow, he will have good opportunities to do so. Daniel la Rosa qualified in the top-eight, with the 2005 car this is like a pole position. For Heinz-Harald Frentzen it worked out today; congratulations to him and Abt-Audi."

Bruno Spengler
DaimlerChrysler Bank AMG-Mercedes C-Class
Second, 1:33.626

Jamie Green
Salzgitter AMG-Mercedes C-Class
Third, 1:33.639

Mika Häkkinen
AMG-Mercedes C-Class
Sixth, 1:33.797

Bernd Schneider
Vodafone AMG-Mercedes C-Class
Seventh, 1:33.880

Daniel la Rosa
TrekStor AMG-Mercedes C-Class
Eighth, 1:35.433

Stefan Mücke
TV-Spielfilm AMG-Mercedes C-Class
Ninth 1:34.256

Jean Alesi
stern AMG-Mercedes C-Class
15th, 1:34.759

Alexandros Margaritis
Easy Rent AMG-Mercedes C-Class
16th, 1:34.867

Mathias Lauda
Second Hand AMG-Mercedes C-Class
17th, 1:35.321

Susie Stoddart
AutoScout24 AMG-Mercedes C-Class
19th, 1:35.618

-credit: mercedes

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