Miguel Molina claims final pole position of the year at Hockenheim
Full attack mode: an Audi trio up front in qualifying
Polesitter Miguel Molina, second place Mattias Ekström, third place Edoardo Mortara
XPB Images
Hockenheim. BMW or Audi – the battle for the DTM manufacturers title goes into the final and decisive round. In qualifying for the season finale, Miguel Molina (Audi RS 5 DTM) secured pole position. Mattias Ekström and Edoardo Mortara underlined the strong performance by the brand from Ingolstadt by qualiying in second and third place respectively.
I finally want to score my maiden race win in the DTM
Miguel Molina
Thus, Audi has good chances to topple BMW from the lead in the manufacturers’ standings. “I am overjoyed. The entire team worked so hard in the past months. I hope that everything fits together during the race. After a difficult season, I finally want to score my maiden race win in the DTM,” a buoyant pole sitter Molina said. Prior to the final round at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg, BMW is leading Audi by 382 to 341 points.
I am now quite far up the ranks.
Augusto Farfus
Behind the trio of Audi drivers, BMW’s Augusto Farfus ended up fourth in qualifying. The Brazilian was the only driver of a BMW M4 DTM to make it into the third and final qualifying heat. “Fourth place is making me feel well,” the 31-year-old commented. “The season hasn’t been always easy for me. Even in practice, things didn’t go really well here, but then we made some changes on the car. As a result, I am now quite far up the ranks. It would be great if I can end the season with a good result.”
It is not quite where we want to be yet, but as we all know, anything can happen during the race,
Pascal Wehrlein
Pascal Wehrlein was the spearhead for Mercedes-Benz in qualifying. With a lap time of 1:33.483 minutes, the German was classified sixth in his DTM Mercedes AMG C-Coupé. “This is a good position for me to start from. It is not quite where we want to be yet, but as we all know, anything can happen during the race,” the youngster said. His fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Christian Vietoris had a major setback. The German, third in the drivers’ standings, only ended up 22nd and thus only has theoretical chances of claiming runner-up spot in the championship.
The tenth and final round of the season will start on Sunday at 14.00hrs. First German TV channel ARD will be broadcasting live from the season finale of the most popular international touring car series.
Qualifying in detail
14.45 hrs | Start of the session, the final qualifying of the year. Q1, 13 minutes, after which the 18 fastest drivers continue. Miguel Molina is the first driver to go onto the track. |
14.48 hrs | Timo Scheider is fastest with 1:33.990, then toppled by Tambay (1:33.949) and Wittmann (1:33.722). |
14.50 hrs | Di Resta is on top with 1:33.442. |
14.52 hrs | Halfway through the session, Di Resta is on top from Ekström, Wehrlein, Molina, Wittmann, Tambay, Green, Scheider, Wickens and Martin. |
14.55 hrs | Hand is the only driver who has yet to complete one timed lap as there was a problem with the driver's side door on his car. |
14.56 hrs | Wehrlein goes from third to first with 1:33.234 minutes. |
14.57 hrs | Paffett improves from 22nd to fifth with 1:33.636. |
14.58 hrs | End of the session. In the final seconds, Molina goes fastest with 1:33.190 and remains on top, followed by Wehrlein, Tambay, Green, Scheider, Di Resta, Ekström, Wittmann, Rockenfeller and Mortara. |
14.59 hrs | Not qualified for Q2 are Glock, Tomczyk, Hand, Vietoris and Petrov. |
15.03 hrs | Daniel Juncadella under investigation because of driving in the working lane (infringement of art. 23.8) - will be reported to the stewards after the session. |
15.05 hrs | Start of Q2, eleven minutes after the first eight drivers continue. Adrien Tambay is the first driver to leave the pit lane. |
15.08 hrs | Pascal Wehrlein on top with 1:33.329. |
15.09 hrs | A trio of Audi drivers in first, second and third with Rockenfeller (1:33.172) from Molina (1:33.193) and Green (1:33.298). |
15.11 hrs | Halfway through the session, Rockenfeller is on top from Molina, Green, Wehrlein, Farfus, Scheider, Da Costa and Di Resta. Currently, Ekström, Tambay, Paffett, Wittmann, Mortara, Müller, Spengler, Juncadella, Martin and Wittmann wouldn't be qualified for Q3. |
15.16 hrs | End of the session. Ekström improves from eighth to third with 1:33.235 minutes, making it a lock-out of the first four places for Audi drivers. Mortara improves to eighth. Rockenfeller remains fastest from Molina, Ekström, Green, Wehrlein, Farfus and Mortara. Not qualified for Q3 are Félix da Costa, Di Resta, Tambay, Wickens, Wittmann, Spengler, Martin, Paffett, Juncadella and Müller. |
15.24 hrs | Start of Q3, eleven minutes. Mattias Ekström is the first driver to go out. |
15.27 hrs | Ekström on top with 1:33.403. |
15.28 hrs | Wehrlein is second fastest with 1:33.785, then Molina goes second fastest with 1:33.565. |
15.29 hrs | Green goes second fastest: 1:33.480. |
15.32 hrs | Scheider improves from eighth to seventh. |
15.33 hrs | Miguel Molina goes fastest with 1:33.316 as Wehrlein improves to fourth. Farfus goes third fastest with 1:33.460. |
15.34 hrs | Mortara takes third place with 1:33.406. |
15.35 hrs | End of the session. Ekström improves to 1:33.332, but remains second as Molina secures pole position with 1:33.316, Ekström in second place, followed by Mortara, Farfus, Green, Wehrlein, Rockenfeller and Scheider. |
DTM
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