Timo Scheider is the man to beat: second DTM pole in a row
He did it again. For the second season round of the DTM
at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, Timo Scheider is on
pole once again. In cool temperatures just below ten degrees,
he was the fastest driver to lap the 3.696 kilometres long
track. With his Audi A4 DTM, he set a fastest lap time of
1.21.146 minutes. “The run we have is incredible, it
is hard to find words to describe it”, the 29-year old
said overjoyed. Audi’s motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang
Ullrich was also very happy, as second, third and fourth place
on the grid for the race on Sunday were also taken up by Audi
drivers. Dane, Tom Kristensen, was second fastest in qualifying,
0.132 seconds down. German driver Martin Tomczyk in third
place was followed by Oliver Jarvis who showed a surprising
performance again, becoming fastest driver with a year-old
car in fourth place. In the season opener at Hockenheim, the
DTM rookie had already been fastest driver with a year-old
car in eighth place on the grid. The Audi quartet was followed
by Canadian Bruno Spengler as the fastest Mercedes-Benz driver.
For the man to beat, Audi’s Timo Scheider, qualifying
started with a terrifying moment. During his first attempt,
he was too harsh running over the kerbstones and the bonnet
of his Audi A4 DTM came loose as a result. His pit crew managed
to repair his car in time. Scheider made it into the next
qualifying heat and eventually claimed the fourth pole of
his DTM career. Reigning DTM champion, Mattias Ekström
from Sweden, will be starting eighth into the race on Sunday
(ARD from 13.45 h live). The two Mercedes-Benz drivers Paul
di Resta (SCO) and Jamie Green (GB) will be lining up in front
of him. Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes-Benz) was very happy with
his second outing in the DTM. During the season opener, he
missed out on making into the second qualifying heat by 88
thousandths of a second. Today, things were getting better.
With a tiny margin of 48 thousandths of a second over his
fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Maro Engel, he moved up into the
second heat and eventually came out 13th. “I am satisfied,
I have reached my personal goal”, Schumacher said.
After Audi driver Alexandre Prémat spun and hit the
barrier, the second heat was red-flagged just before the end.
In accordance with the regulations, the remaining 14 drivers
were also allowed to take part into the final heat. Only Prémat
was sidelined after his accident and will be starting from
14th place on Sunday.
On Sunday, the ARD will be broadcasting from the second DTM
season round at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben from 13.45
h onwards.
Timo Scheider (1st grid position, Audi Sport Team
Abt): “Second race weekend, second pole –
it is just unbelievable. So far, it is running impeccably
here at Oschersleben. Being fastest in every session is just
a great feeling. On Sunday, I will do everything to claim
my maiden victory.”
Tom Kristensen (2nd grid position, Audi Sport Team
Abt): “After the second heat, I saw a chance
of making it to pole. However, it didn’t work out completely,
but I am very happy with second place behind Timo Scheider.
Today, we had the speed to make it all the way, but I wasn’t
able to get it right in all sectors.”
Martin Tomczyk (3rd grid position, Audi Sport Team
Abt Sportsline): “Qualifying was quite tough
for me. Throughout the weekend, I haven’t been happy,
neither with the car nor with the track, and in fact, I still
am not happy. Of course, I am all the more happy with making
it onto the second grid row with two Audis in front of me.
That is more than I had expected.”
Bruno Spengler (5th grid position, Mercedes-Benz
Bank AMG Mercedes): “Fifth place on the grid
is very disappointing. When I would have
known what the reason is, we would have been further up to
the front. I am starting from the third row and I am on the
clean line. From there, anything is possible with a good start.
I firmly believe in our potential of still making it onto
the podium tomorrow.”
Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich: “I
am very satisfied, because it was a strong team performance.
We have three out of four new Audi A4 up front. Since Hockenheim,
Mercedes-Benz have come closer and it was interesting for
us to see whether our car would be working on a track with
entirely different characteristics. After qualifying, I can
say that it did work indeed. Once again, Timo Scheider has
shown an outstanding performance. But I would also like to
mention Oliver Jarvis, who has made it onto the second grid
row with a year-old car in only his second qualifying session.”
Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug:
“For us, qualifying was difficult and it could be predicted
that we would be having problems here. Now, we have fifth,
sixth and seventh place, but the gap to the front is big.
However, we keep our good spirit. There are always phases
during which it is more difficult. In motorsport, that just
is the case sometimes. We certainly have to improve, but to
do so, we have a quiet and focussed team. Now, we will have
to see what tomorrow’s race brings, race is always an
entirely different affair.”
Qualifying in detail
Air temperature: 9.6 ° C
Track temperature: 12.6 °C
13:28 hrs Start of qualifying - the first heat of 14 minutes
13:28 hrs Mathias Lauda is the first driver to go out on the
track
13:33 hrs Jamie Green is currently first with a lap time of
1.21.671
13:34 hrs The right front side of the bonnet of Timo Scheider's
car has come loose
13:37 hrs With five minutes to go, Green remains fastest from
Tomczyk, Spengler, di Resta, Kristensen, Winkelhock, Jarvis,
Rockenfeller, Schneider, Schumacher
13:37 hrs Mattias Ekström is the last driver to go out
13:38 hrs On his first attempt, Ekström claims fourth
place
13:40 hrs With one and a half minute remaining, Timo Scheider
is 19th and last, but he is starting another attempt
13:41 hrs Prémat moves up into fourth place
13:41 hrs Scheider from 19th to first with a lap time of 1.21.343
13:42 hrs End of the session, Schumacher, Lauda, Stoddart
and Legge are still on the track
13:43 hrs Scheider remains fastest from Green, Tomczyk, Spengler,
Prémat, Ekström, di Resta, Kristensen, Winkelhock
and Jarvis.
13:43 hrs The following drivers haven't made the cut: Engel,
Lauda, Albers, Stoddart and Legge
13:49 hrs Start of the second heat, ten minutes on the clocks
13:54 hrs Timo Scheider is fastest again: 1.21.296, from Ekström,
Spengler, Jarvis and Rockenfeller
13:57 hrs With two and a half minutes remaining, Tomczyk,
Winkelhock, Prémat, Schumacher, di Resta and Paffett
would be out
13:58 hrs Bernd Schneider improves from eighth to sixth
13:58 hrs Kristensen is on top with 1.21.205
13:59 hrs Red flag with 1.23 remaining, Prémat has
come off at the Hotelcorner
14:01 hrs Prémat lost control of his car, spun and
hit the barrier. The bonnet of his car came off and there
is some apparent damage on the right front side. Prémat
escapes unscathed.
14:02 hrs All drivers are allowed to take part in the third
and final heat, the remaining time of 1.35 seconds will be
added to the originally scheduled nine minutes.
14:04 hrs Final session will start at 14.09
14:09 hrs Start of the third and final heat with 10.35 minutes
in which all 14 drivers would be allowed to take part. However,
for obvious reasons, Prémat doesn't compete
14:10 hrs Tom Kristensen is the first driver on track
14:13 hrs Kristensen tops the time sheets with a lap time
of 1.21.278
14:13 hrs Timo Scheider is now fastest with 1.21.780
14:14 hrs Bruno Spengler moves up into fourth place in spite
of running wide
14:16 hrs Three minutes to go, most drivers start a final
attempt
14:18 hrs Kristensen has gone back into the pits, he is second
14:19 hrs Tomczyk moves up into third place
14:20 hrs End of the session, all drivers complete their lap
14:21 hrs Timo Scheider claims his second consecutive pole
from Kristensen, Tomczyk and Jarvis, four Audis locking out
the first two rows on the grid. Spengler is fastest Mercedes-Benz
driver in fifth olace from di Resta, Green, Ekström,
Winkelhock and Schneider.
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