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Qualifying report

Hockenheim DTM: Muller on pole after Rockenfeller penalty

Audi's Nico Muller will start the final DTM race of 2019 at Hockenheim from pole position, while qualifying pacesetter Mike Rockenfeller will line up sixth after a grid penalty earned during Saturday's race.

Nico Müller, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, Audi RS 5 DTM

Nico Müller, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, Audi RS 5 DTM

Alexander Trienitz

In torrential conditions, it looked as though Muller was destined for pole after coming out on top in the early battle before stringing together two quicker times in the final five minutes to set a 1m50.813s.

That time had placed Muller just 0.002s clear of Rockenfeller but the Phoenix Audi driver improved next time around to take his first provisional pole of 2019 courtesy of a 1m50.800s lap.

But Rockenfeller will not start from the front due to the fact he earned three black and white flag warnings during the 2019 season, taking a five-place grid penalty as a result.

That means Muller will be elevated to pole, with the best-placed BMW of Timo Glock starting alongside him on the front row.  

Audi's Jamie Green will line up third ahead of the BMW's of Joel Eriksson and Philipp Eng, with Rockenfeller slotting into sixth.

Wittmann and eventual champion Rene Rast will line-up next to each other in seventh and eighth.

Robin Frijns and Loic Duval rounded out the top 10, shuffling lead R-Motorsport Aston Martin driver Jake Dennis into 11th ahead of teammate Ferdinand Habsburg.

Their teammates Daniel Juncadella and Paul di Resta had more difficult sessions, qualifying 17th and 18th, with the latter having an off at the Sachskurve before continuing.

The pair placed behind the leading SUPER GT machines of Cassidy, who placed his TOM'S-run Lexus in 16th after his final flying lap.

Jenson Button could only place his Honda in 19th, ahead of WRT Audi's Pietro Fittipaldi, and the final SUPER GT entry of Ronnie Quintarelli will start last and 21st in the NISMO-run Nissan.

Qualifying results:

Cla Driver Car Time Gap
1 Germany Mike Rockenfeller
Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM 1'50.80
2 Switzerland Nico Müller
Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM 1'50.813 0.013
3 Germany Timo Glock
BMW M4 Turbo DTM 1'51.260 0.460
4 United Kingdom Jamie Green
Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM 1'51.391 0.591
5 Sweden Joel Eriksson
BMW M4 Turbo DTM 1'51.489 0.689
6 Germany Marco Wittmann
BMW M4 Turbo DTM 1'51.788 0.988
7 Austria Philipp Eng
BMW M4 Turbo DTM 1'51.807 1.007
8 Germany René Rast
Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM 1'51.873 1.073
9 Netherlands Robin Frijns
Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM 1'51.990 1.190
10 France Loic Duval
Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM 1'51.994 1.194
11 United Kingdom Jake Dennis
Aston Martin Vantage DTM 1'52.242 1.442
12 Austria Ferdinand Habsburg
Aston Martin Vantage DTM 1'52.374 1.574
13 South Africa Jonathan Aberdein
Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM 1'52.483 1.683
14 Canada Bruno Spengler
BMW M4 Turbo DTM 1'52.491 1.691
15 South Africa Sheldon Van Der Linde
BMW M4 Turbo DTM 1'52.511 1.711
16 New Zealand Nick Cassidy
Lexus LC500 1'52.527 1.727
17 United Kingdom Paul di Resta
Aston Martin Vantage DTM 1'52.534 1.734
18 Spain Daniel Juncadella
Aston Martin Vantage DTM 1'52.652 1.852
19 United Kingdom Jenson Button
Honda NSX-GT 1'52.787 1.987
20 Brazil Pietro Fittipaldi
Audi RS 5 Turbo DTM 1'53.410 2.610
21 Japan Tsugio Matsuda
Nissan/ R35 1'53.875 3.075

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