The end of a streak: di Resta claims pole for Mercedes-Benz
Klettwitz. After eight pole positions in a row for Audi,
a DTM streak has come to an end. In qualifying for the fourth
DTM round of the year, Mercedes-Benz driver, Paul di Resta,
lapped the 3.478 kilometres long EuroSpeedway Lausitz in 1.17.628
minutes, the fastest lap time. He was delighted with his maiden
pole position in the DTM: “The best car I have ever
driven.” His Canadian fellow Mercedes-Benz driver, Bruno
Spengler, set the second fastest time of the day, 0.264 seconds
down. Timo Scheider, who had started from pole position with
his Audi A4 DTM in each of the three races held so far, ended
up third. The race in the Lausitz with a distance of 52 laps,
equalling 180.856 kilometres will start on Sunday at 14.00
h, the ARD will be broadcasting live from 13.45 h. Last year’s
winner was Mercedes-Benz driver, Mika Häkkinen.
Spectators at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz again were treated
to a highly exciting qualifying and a premiere in the current
DTM season. For the first time, all the 2008-spec cars made
it into the final qualifying heat and battled for pole position.
The dominant driver of the current season so far, Timo Scheider,
had an exciting battle with Paul di Resta and Bruno Spengler
for the fastest lap time. However, there was no way to beat
di Resta today. On his final lap, he was over half a second
faster than last year’s fastest qualifying time. Behind
the front grid row with the two AMG Mercedes C-Classes, reigning
DTM champion, Mattias Ekström (Audi) completed the second
grid row in fourth place alongside Scheider. Mugello winner,
Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz) ended up fifth and will be starting
into the race alongside Audi’s Martin Tomczyk. Audi
driver, Tom Kristensen and Bernd Schneider (Mercedes-Benz)
followed in seventh and eighth place respectively.
British driver, Oliver Jarvis only just failed to make it
into the third qualifying heat as the best-placed driver of
a year-old car. He will be starting ninth. Ralf Schumacher
confirmed his steadily improving shape and again made it into
the second qualifying heat. Like in Mugello, he was the best-placed
driver with a year-old Mercedes-Benz. For the fourth round
of the season, the German will be starting from 13th place
ahead of ex-Formula 1 driver, Christijan Albers (Audi) from
the Netherlands.
In the DTM points’ standings before the race on Sunday,
Scheider is leading with 18 points from Green (17) and Ekström
(14).
Paul di Resta (1st grid position, AMG Mercedes):
“The best car that I have ever driven. Of course,
pole in qualifying doesn’t mean victory in the race,
but it is a very good position to work from.”
Bruno Spengler (2nd grid position, Mercedes-Benz
Bank AMG Mercedes): “That was a real straightforward
qualifying. On my final lap, I ran slightly wide in the first
corner and I lost two tenths of a second. As a result, I couldn’t
make it to pole. The track suits us quite well and with a
good start on Sunday, anything can happen.”
Timo Scheider (3rd grid position, Audi Sport Team
Abt): “Third place in qualifying is a good
result. And with two Audis on the second row, we have a good
basis. Now, our entire focus is on Sunday and then, we will
see what can be achieved.”
Mercedes-Benz motorsport director Norbert Haug: “Paul
di Resta has shown a great performance. First and second place
on the grid is more than hat we had hoped for. We are even
a little bit ahead of the goals we had set ourselves. However,
that is no reason to be euphoric. In Mugello already, we were
in contention and here we are eve a little bit more. I hope
that we can repeat this qualifying result in the race tomorrow.”
Audi motorsport director Dr. Wolfgang Ullrich:
“Congratulations to Mercedes-Benz. Paul di Resta set
an extraordinary lap time and qualifying remained exciting
until the end. The mathematical chance for us to claim the
ninth pole in a row surely wasn’t too big. Timo Scheider
has got the best out of his car. From the second row, we will
try everything to make it a good race and maybe to reach the
result that we didn’t get in Mugello, where we failed
to turn our position on the front row of the grid into a good
race result.”
Di Resta and Spengler lock out front row for Mercedes-Benz
Klettwitz. A premiere in the Lausitz region: in qualifying
for the fourth season round at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Paul
di Resta (Mercedes-Benz) claimed his maiden pole position
for a DTM race. On his fastest lap, the 22-year old set a
fastest lap time of 1.17.628 minutes at the 3.478 kilometres
long circuit in the Lausitz. Bruno Spengler completed the
success for Mercedes-Benz by setting the second-fastest time.
On Sunday, he will be starting second alongside di Resta into
the 52 lap race. For Mercedes-Benz, it is the first pole in
nine races. The last driver to claim pole for the manufacturer
from Stuttgart was Bruno Spengler at the Norisring on July
23rd, 2007. The second grid row has been locked out by Audi:
after three pole positions in a row, Timo Scheider only qualified
third in the Lausitz. Reigning DTM champion, Mattias Ekström
will be starting fourth alongside Scheider. The first eight
grid positions are being completed by Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz),
Martin Tomczyk (Audi), Tom Kristensen (Audi) and Bernd Schneider
(Mercedes-Benz). An extensive press release with quotes from
the drivers and motorsport directors will follow shortly.
Qualifying in detail
Air temperature: 25,4 °C
Track temperature: 29,1 °C 13:28 hrs Start of the first
session of 14 minutes, Bernd Schneider is the first to go
out, followed by Engel, Green, Spengler, di Resta
13:31 hrs Engel is the first driver to set a lap time: 1.20.677
minutes, Mike Rockenfeller counters with 1.19.523 and then
Markus Winkelhock is first with 1.19.040
13:32 hrs Rockenfeller improves once more to 1.18.955
13:33 hrs Martin Tomczyk is fastest with 1.18.433
13:34 hrs Timo Scheider from sixth to second with 1.18.517
13:36 hrs Bruno Spengler is second with 1.18.508
13:36 hrs Kristensen off the track, continues
13:38 hrs Kristensen moves up to second with his first attempt:
1.18.507
13:39 hrs Currently, Ekström is the only driver with
a '08 car who is not in the top 14
13:40 hrs Ekström moves up from 18th to first: 1.18.418
13:42 hrs Schumacher from 16th to 13th: 1.19.310. The following
drivers have not made it into the second heat: Lauda, Engel,
Paffett, Stoddart and Legge
13:43 hrs Ekström remains fastest from Tomczyk, Kristensen,
Spengler, Scheider, di Resta, Schneider, Green, Rockenfeller,
Winkelhock
13:51 hrs Start of the second heat, after which the top eight
drivers will make it through. Mattias Ekström is the
first driver to go out on the track. Fastest lap for Ekström:
1.18.479
13:52 hrs Bernd Schneider is second: 1.18.544, but then Timo
Scheider sets the fastest lap time: 1.18.227
13:53 hrs Martin Tomczyk is second with 1.18,344, then Ekström
improves to third with 1.18.408. Timo Scheider improves his
own fastest time to 1.18.108
13:54 hrs Spengler second with 1.18.187, Di Resta is the first
to crack the 1:18 barrier with 1.17.976
13:55 hrs Kristensen and Albers are the last two drivers to
go out
13:56 hrs Kristensen is sixth with 1.18.433
13:57 hrs Ekström from sixth to second with 1.18.048
13:59 hrs End of the session. Paul di Resta remains fastest
from Ekström, Scheider, Spengler, Tomczyk, Schneider
and Kristensen
14:00 hrs The following drivers haven't made it: Jarvis, Rockenfeller,
Winkelhock, Prémat, Schumacher, Albers
14:06 hrs Start of the third and final shoot-out session.
Martin Tomczyk is the first driver out on the track
14:08 hrs Fastest time for Tomczyk, 1.18.375
14:09 hrs Timo Scheider on top: 1.17.954
14:10 hrs Paul di Resta is now fastest with 1.17.760
14:11 hrs Light drizzle sets in
14:14 hrs Bruno Spengler is now second with 1.17.892
14:15 hrs Paul di Resta improves his own fastest time to 1.17.628
14:16 hrs End of the session. Paul di Resta claims the first
pole of the season for Mercedes-Benz and his own maiden pole,
followed by Spengler, Scheider, Ekström, Green, Tomczyk,
Kristensen and Schneider
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