Adrien Tambay to start from pole position for season opener

Hockenheim. The first pole position of the season goes to Adrien Tambay. With a time of 1:32.272 minutes at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, the Audi driver secured the first fastest qualifying time of the year.

It is also his maiden pole position in the DTM. His margin over second-placed Marco Wittmann (BMW) was 0.147 seconds. Bruno Spengler (BMW) will be starting from third place after the time of António Félix da Costa (BMW), who initially was third, had been cancelled.

The clerk of the course had another look at this decision after qualifying, but eventually confirmed it. The Portuguese ended up fourth. Gary Paffett was the fastest driver with a DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé in 15th place. The race will start on Sunday, 4 May, at 13:30hrs (12:30hrs BST). A full press release with quotes from the successful drivers will follow shortly.

Recap

16:25 hrs Start of the session, 13 minutes. Mortara is the first to go out onto the track.

16:29 hrs Wittmann tops the time sheets with 1:33.116 minutes.

16:30 hrs Mortara moves up into second place, followed by Rockenfeller.

16:31 hrs Halfway through this heat, Wittmann is fastest from Mortara, Rockenfeller, Farfus, Glock, Hand, Ekström, Félix da Costa, Müller and Di Resta.

16:32 hrs Green moves up to second place. Currently, Juncadella, Wehrlein, Vietoris, Petrov and Tambay would not continue into Q2.

16:34 hrs Tambay from 23rd to fifth: 1:33.361.

16:35 hrs Mortara goes fastest: 1:33.068, then Martin takes over first place with 1:32.841, then Félix da Costa fastest with 1:32.841.

16:36 hrs Spengler is third-fastest with 1:33.033. Vietoris in the gravel trap at Sachs corner, continues.

16:37 hrs Wittmann goes fastest: 1:32.835. Ekström improves to fourth: 1:33.019.

16:38 hrs End of the session. Di Resta, Juncadella, Wickens, Vietoris and Petrov aren't qualified for Q2. Wittmann remains fastest from Félix da Costa, Martin, Ekström, Spengler, Müller, Mortara, Farfus, Glock, Paffett, Rockenfeller, Molina, Green, Tambay, Scheider, Wehrlein, Hand and Tomczyk.

16:45 hrs Start of the next session, eleven minutes. Again, Mortara is the first driver to go out.

16:48 hrs Molina is fastest with 1:32.734 minutes.

16:49 hrs Wittmann goes fastest: 1:32.573.

16:50 hrs Mortara second fastest with 1:32.717.

16:51 hrs Halfway through the session, Wittmann is leading from Mortara, Molina, Spengler, Paffett, Müller, Rockenfeller and Félix da Costa.

16:52 hrs Jamie Green into the gravel trap at Sachs corner, continues.

16:55 hrs Molina goes fastest: 1:32.372 minutes. Green under investigation for spreading extreme amounts of gravel onto the track after his excursion.

16:56 hrs Tomczyk improves from 17th to third with 1:32.544. End of the session. Glock, Scheider, Rockenfeller, Farfus, Müller, Martin, Paffett, Wehrlein, Hand and Green aren't qualified for Q3. Molina remains fastest from Mortara, Tambay, Tomczyk, Ekström, Félix da Costa, Wittmann and Spengler.

17:04 hrs Start of the third and final heat, nine minutes. Again, Mortara is the first driver to go out onto the track.

17:07 hrs Molina goes fastest: 1:33.094 minutes.

17:08 hrs Wittmann on top with 1:32.873, then Ekström with 1:32.624.

17:13 hrs Tambay on top with 1:32.505. Wittmann goes 1:32.516, second fastest. Spenger is third with 1:32.600.

17:14 hrs Félix da Costa on top of the time sheets, butloses his time due to crossing the track limits at turn 1. Tambay remains fastest. Tambay improves his own fastest lap time to 1:32.272.

17:15 hrs End of the session. Tambay remains fastest from Wittmann, Spengler, Félix da Costa, Ekström, Molina, Mortara, Tomczyk.

DTM Press