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Edition

Australia
Qualifying report

Robert Wickens to start from pole position at Norisring

The Canadian completed his fastest lap of the 2.3 kilometres long street circuit in the heart of the Franconian metropolis in 47.883 seconds.

Polesitter Robert Wickens, second place Paul di Resta, third place Jamie Green

Polesitter Robert Wickens, second place Paul di Resta, third place Jamie Green

XPB Images

Nuremberg. Robert Wickens secured himself pole position for the Norisring DTM race. In qualifying for the fourth season round, the Canadian reached a lap time of 47.883 seconds with his DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé and will thus start from first place on the grid for the second tome in his DTM career. “I simply like this track. Like last year, I am on pole position here. I can’t thank Mercedes-Benz enough for the fact that we are in first place. The team has put in many night shifts to make this happen. For me, this is a special moment because my father is on site to support me for the first time in a long while,” the overjoyed 25-year-old said. His fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Paul Di Resta was only 0.093 seconds slower and will be starting from the front row alongside Wickens.

British driver Jamie Green emerged Audi’s spearhead in qualifying. In the session, the 32-year old completed his best lap of the 2.3 kilometres long track in Nuremberg in 47.995 seconds and thus ended up in third place. The Audi driver already scored four DTM race wins at Norisring and is also totally confident for this year’s race: “I am very happy with my performance and I am looking forward to the race. We have a strong car that is up for anything. I am curious to find out what kind of weather conditions will await us on Sunday. Both in the dry and in the wet, we should be strong,” Green said.

Points’ leader Marco Wittmann will be starting from eighth place into his home race at Norisring. In the final qualifying heat, the BMW driver came within 0.327 seconds of the time set by pole-sitter Robert Wickens. “This was our limit, I simply couldn’t do any more. Unlike our rivals, we are lacking top speed, which particularly becomes apparent on the straights. In the race, I want to make it through the opening stage and then score a points finish,” the fastest driver of a BMW M4 DTM said.

For reigning DTM champion, Mike Rockenfeller, qualifying was a rather disappointing affair. With his Audi RS 5 DTM, he only ended up twelfth. In the battle for the title, this is a setback for points’ leader Marco Wittmann’s fiercest rival.

Qualifying at a glance

14:50 hrs Start of Norisring qualifying. Timo Scheider is the first driver to go out onto the track.

14:53 hrs Christian Vietoris tops the time sheets with 48.358 seconds.

14:54 hrs Robert Wickens takes first place with 48.265, then Vietoris counters and claims back the lead with 48.257.

14:55 hrs Wickens on top again: 48.129.

14:56 hrs Spengler is fastest with 48.119, then Ekström with 48.114.

14:58 hrs Ekström is leading from Spengler, Di Resta, Wickens, Wehrlein, Vietoris, Tambay, Green, Wittmann, Rockenfeller.

14:59 hrs Currently, Molina, Petrov, Glock, Tomczyk and Félix da Costa wouldn't move up into Q2. Di Resta's car got stuck in the pit lane entry.

15:02 hrs Wickens improves to second with 48.115 seconds, only one thousandth of a second behind Ekström.

15:03 hrs End of the session, Tomczyk, Mortara, Scheider, Félix da Costa and Petrov aren't qualified for Q2. Ekström remains fastest from Wickens, Spengler, Vietoris, Di Resta, Müller, Wehrlein, Wittmann, Tambay, Green, Martin, Molina, Rockenfeller, Farfus, Glock, Paffett, Juncadella and Hand.

15:10 hrs Start of Q2, eleven minutes. Mike Rockenfeller is the first driver to leave the pit lane.

15:13 hrs Wehrlein on top of the time sheets with 48.141.

15:14 hrs Wehrlein and Wickens both with 48.0, then Vietoris in third with 48.14

15:16 hrs Wittmann moves up to third place with 48.098.

15:17 hrs Wehrlein is on top from Wickens, Wittmann, Vietoris, Di Resta, Paffett, Tambay and Müller. Currently, Ekström, Martin, Green, Rockenfeller, Glock, Hand, Farfus, Spengler, Molina and Juncadella would not make it into Q3.

15:19 hrs Ekström moves up from ninth to sixth: 48.142. Wickens improves from second to first: 48.016 seconds.

15:21 hrs End of the session. Wickens remains fastest from Vietoris, Wehrlein, Di Resta, Green, Wittmann, Paffett and Ekström. Tambay, Müller, Martin, Rockenfeller, Glock, Hand, Farfus, Spengler, Juncadella and Molina aren't qualified for Q3.

15:29 hrs Start of the third and final qualifying heat. Christian Vietoris is the first driver to go out onto the track.

15:31 hrs Wickens is currently fastest with 48.149.

15:32 hrs Paffett moves up to first with 48.148, then Di Resta is fastest with 48.147.

15:33 hrs Robert Wickens is the first driver to set a time below 48 seconds with 47.980, then Di Resta is fastest with 47.976.

15:36 hrs Di Resta is leading from Wickens, Vietoris, Paffett, Wehrlein, Ekström and Wittmann.

15:37 hrs Wickens takes the lead with 47.959 seconds.

15:38 Wickens improves his own fastest time to 47.883.

15:40 hrs End of the session, Wickens remains fastest from Di Resta, Green, Wehrlein, Paffett, Vietoris, Ekström, Wittmann.

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Edition

Australia