Hockenheimring: Opel qualifying report

In qualifying for the first race of the 2004 DTM season the Opel Vectra GTS V8 proved competitive from the start. Three Opel drivers reached the super pole qualifying of the ten fastest times.

On Sunday Timo Scheider and Manuel Reuter start from the fourth row, Marcel Fässler from row five, Laurent Aiello from row six, Heinz-Harald Frentzen from row eight and Jeroen Bleekemolen will start from row ten. Peter Dumbreck will start the race from row ten after an accident at the start of first qualifying.

Volker Strycek: Opel motorsport chief

The cars are extremely close together, the first eight are within half a second. Therefore it's unusual to have three new cars in the super pole qualifying. However, our expectations were not fulfilled. It's a pity we lost Peter Dumbreck's car at the beginning of qualifying."

Timo Scheider (OPC Team Holzer) 1:35.515, 7th

"After the interruption (red flag due to Dumbreck's accident) we changed tactics and saved a set of tyres and stayed in the top ten. My super pole lap was a bit too careful."

Manuel Reuter (OPC Team Holzer) 1:36.098, 9th

"Of my three runs in qualifying, in the first I made a mistake, the second was okay and in the third it became worse. In my fast lap twice a wheel locked up."

Marcel Fässler (OPC Team Phoenix) 1:35.543, 10th

"My second run in qualifying was the best one. In the super pole my rear wheels locked up otherwise a better result would have been possible."

Laurent Aiello (OPC Team Phoenix) 1:35.800, 12th

"After this morning we improved the tuning but I went extremely hard over the kerbs on two runs."

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (OPC Team Holzer) 1:36.417, 16th

"Unfortunately I didn't find the balance which I had expected. On the third run I had problems and more was not possible in the circumstances."

Jeroen Bleekemolen (OPC Euroteam) 1:37.669, 20th

"I made a mistake in my first run -- I applied the brakes gently but too late in the second curve. In the second run I lost the left front wheel and had to give up."

Peter Dumbreck (OPC Team Phoenix) 21st, accident

"In my first run the rear wheels locked when I gently applied the brakes and I spun into the barrier. I'm intact but the suspension and car body were damaged."

-opel- (translated from German)