Hockenheim DTM: Wittmann beats Rast, Paffett to pole
Marco Wittmann beat title rivals Rene Rast and Gary Paffett to pole position for the final DTM race of the season at Hockenheim.
Top 3: Pole sitter Marco Wittmann, BMW Team RMG, René Rast, Audi Sport Team Rosberg, Gary Paffett, Mercedes-AMG Team HWA
Alexander Trienitz
Wittmann denied Rast, who had led for much of the session, in the final minute of qualifying, outpacing the Audi driver by 0.054s.
Rast is 14 points behind Paffett, meaning he will have to finish on the podium to have any hopes of the title - and, should he win, he would still need Paffett to finish outside the top four.
Paffett, fourth during the mid-session lull, was at risk of having a poor qualifying as his first attempt during the second run was deleted due to track limits.
But he fought back as the chequered flag fell to jump from ninth to third and extend his points lead over nearest rival Paul di Resta to seven.
Di Resta had a more low-key session and will have to try to take his second DTM title from 11th on the grid.
Behind the top three, BMW duo Bruno Spengler and Augusto Farfus will line up on the grid ahead of Edoardo Mortara, the only other Mercedes other than Paffett in the top 10.
Two more BMWs in Joel Eriksson and Phillip Eng followed in seventh and eighth, as Nico Muller, a pace-setter in the early stages, had to settle for ninth as the second-best Audi.
Behind the Swiss driver, Timo Glock brought the final BMW into the top 10.
Qualifying results
Cla | Driver | Car | Laps | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Marco Wittmann | BMW M4 DTM | 10 | 1'32.683 | |
2 | René Rast | Audi RS5 DTM | 8 | 1'32.737 | 0.054 |
3 | Gary Paffett | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 9 | 1'32.846 | 0.163 |
4 | Bruno Spengler | BMW M4 DTM | 9 | 1'32.901 | 0.218 |
5 | Augusto Farfus | BMW M4 DTM | 9 | 1'32.911 | 0.228 |
6 | Edoardo Mortara | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 9 | 1'32.916 | 0.233 |
7 | Joel Eriksson | BMW M4 DTM | 10 | 1'32.947 | 0.264 |
8 | Philipp Eng | BMW M4 DTM | 9 | 1'32.960 | 0.277 |
9 | Nico Müller | Audi RS5 DTM | 9 | 1'32.972 | 0.289 |
10 | Timo Glock | BMW M4 DTM | 9 | 1'33.112 | 0.429 |
11 | Paul di Resta | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 8 | 1'33.114 | 0.431 |
12 | Lucas Auer | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 10 | 1'33.126 | 0.443 |
13 | Daniel Juncadella | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 10 | 1'33.287 | 0.604 |
14 | Jamie Green | Audi RS5 DTM | 11 | 1'33.324 | 0.641 |
15 | Pascal Wehrlein | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 10 | 1'33.427 | 0.744 |
16 | Mike Rockenfeller | Audi RS5 DTM | 10 | 1'33.468 | 0.785 |
17 | Loic Duval | Audi RS5 DTM | 10 | 1'33.477 | 0.794 |
18 | Robin Frijns | Audi RS5 DTM | 8 | 1'34.695 | 2.012 |
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