DTM
Zolder: Abt Sportsline qualifying notes
Abt Sportsline locks out the first two grid rows in Zolder With perfect tactics and support of the Belgian rain god, Abt Sportsline has locked out the first two rows of the starting grid for the second round of the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen ...
Edited: May 6, 2002, 4:18 AM
Copy link
Share on Viber
Abt Sportsline locks out the first two grid rows in Zolder
With perfect tactics and support of the Belgian rain god, Abt Sportsline has locked out the first two rows of the starting grid for the second round of the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters). Martin Tomczyk, only 20 years old, will be starting from pole-position alongside Mattias Ekström, behind them, Laurent Aiello and Christian Abt are starting into the race.
Qualifying in Zolder was virtually over after only a few minutes, because rain prevented any improvements of the lap times. Team Abt Sportsline sent out its drivers on the track at the right moment. Karl Wendlinger had bad luck, after having collided with an opponent at his first attempt. Following the necessary repair works, the track was too wet for a serious attack on the front runners.
Quotes after qualifying
Martin Tomczyk (1.28.202 min., 1st place):
"Today, we had the perfect combination of a professional preparation and luck. I am really happy with my first-ever pole-position in the DTM and now I am entirely concentrating on the race. Last week, we practiced starts, so it should work out perfectly."
Mattias Ekström (1.28.317 min., 2nd place):
"For me, it is the first race here in Zolder. I really like the track. It is like a circuit in Sweden: very bumpy, with many uphill parts, and quite tricky. So exactly the right thing for me."
Laurent Aiello (1.28.396 min., 3rd place):
"Qualifying was very difficult, because circumstances were different on every part of the track. You never really knew whether a corner would be wet or dry. This starting position is another small step ahead in the fight for the championship."
Christian Abt (1.28.408 min., 4th place):
"This is a great success for Martin and once again a strong team performance. Finally, we had luck on our side in a rain lottery. It will be an exciting race tomorrow, because surely we will get a lot of pressure from behind. But I certainly can live with that."
Karl Wendlinger (1.29.867 min., 16th place):
"Today, I just had bad luck. At my first attempt, I collided with an opponent. We had to change the bonnet and then, the track already was too wet for a quick lap. But some others have already made it from the back to the front."
Hans-Jürgen Abt (team boss):
"Of course, the rain helped us today, too. But we were already working very well yesterday, and today, we were able to convert our performance at the right moment on the track."
-abtsportsline-
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Zolder: Qualifying report
Next article Zolder: Mercedes-Benz qualifying notes
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Mattias Ekström
Ekstrom joins Ford’s Dakar team for 2025 after Audi exit
Dakar
Dakar
Ekstrom joins Ford’s Dakar team for 2025 after Audi exit
Ekstrom replaces injured Sainz for Extreme E season
Extreme E
Extreme E
Desert X-Prix
Ekstrom replaces injured Sainz for Extreme E season
Ekstrom praises Cupra Racing team after winning Pure ETCR title
WTCR
WTCR
Ekstrom praises Cupra Racing team after winning Pure ETCR title
Latest news
IndyCar set to drop Nashville Superspeedway and D.C. for 2027; Barcelona announcement looms
IndyCar
Indy IndyCar 36 min
IndyCar set to drop Nashville Superspeedway and D.C. for 2027; Barcelona announcement looms
Carlos Sainz: "Difficult to be convinced" that F1 2026 can finish in the Middle East
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
40 min
Carlos Sainz: "Difficult to be convinced" that F1 2026 can finish in the Middle East
F1 United States GP: Friday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
F1 United States GP: Friday schedule, weather forecast and how to watch
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe