Monza DTM: Abril on pole, Mercedes locks out top four
Vincent Abril scored the first pole position of the DTM's new GT3 era at Monza, as Mercedes locked out the top four.

The laptimes were significantly quicker than those seen in practice on Friday, with HRT Mercedes driver Maximilian Gotz going half a second quicker than Philip Ellis’ FP2 benchmark with a 1m47.158s on his first flyer.
Abt Audi man Kelvin van der Linde then lowered the bar to a 1m47.002s, before Winward Mercedes’ Lucas Auer moved the goalposts further with a 1m46.590s.
Abril then found even more time in the second HRT Mercedes-AMG GT3, ending the first runs on top with a time of 1m46.488s.
More improvements were expected when the field returned to the track in the final five minutes, but only DTM returnee Daniel Juncadella was able to bother the frontrunners, going second with a 1m45.560s.
That put Abril on pole position for the DTM’s first race under GT3 regulations, the Frenchman remaining unchallenged despite opting to pit before completing a timed lap on his second run.
Juncadella ended up 0.072s behind in second, with Auer another 0.030s adrift in third in the Winward Mercedes.
Testing pacesetter Gotz made it an-all Mercedes top four, as Esteban Muth moved up to fifth with a last-gasp effort of 1m46.863s in the T3 Lamborghini.
Ellis was classified sixth in the Winward Mercedes, with Red Bull protege Liam Lawson qualifying seventh with a time of 1m46.900s in the best of the AF Corse-run Ferraris.
Last year’s DTM runner up Nico Muller was the top Audi qualifier in eighth in the Team Rosberg-run R8 LMS, with van der Linde finishing just 0.065s behind in ninth.
Maximilian Buhk, deputising for the absent Gary Paffett, rounded out the top 10 ahead of former champion Mike Rockenfeller (Abt Audi).
Alex Albon qualified a disappointing 14th in the second of the AF Corse Ferraris, ending up nine tenths off the top spot.
BMW struggled for pace in Monza qualifying, with the marque’s top runner and Walkenhorst driver Marco Wittmann only 15th ahead of Rowe Racing M6 duo Sheldon van der Linde and Timo Glock.
Qualifying results:
Cla | # | Driver | Car | Time | Gap |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 5 | | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 1'46.488 | |
2 | 8 | | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 1'46.560 | 0.072 |
3 | 22 | | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 1'46.590 | 0.102 |
4 | 4 | | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 1'46.832 | 0.344 |
5 | 10 | | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | 1'46.863 | 0.375 |
6 | 57 | | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 1'46.890 | 0.402 |
7 | 30 | | Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 | 1'46.900 | 0.412 |
8 | 51 | | Audi R8 LMS Evo | 1'46.927 | 0.439 |
9 | 3 | | Audi R8 LMS Evo | 1'46.928 | 0.440 |
10 | 18 | | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 1'46.993 | 0.505 |
11 | 9 | | Audi R8 LMS Evo | 1'47.235 | 0.747 |
12 | 26 | | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo | 1'47.262 | 0.774 |
13 | 36 | | Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo | 1'47.363 | 0.875 |
14 | 23 | | Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 | 1'47.397 | 0.909 |
15 | 11 | | BMW M6 GT3 | 1'47.553 | 1.065 |
16 | 31 | | BMW M6 GT3 | 1'47.565 | 1.077 |
17 | 16 | | BMW M6 GT3 | 1'47.657 | 1.169 |
18 | 12 | | Audi R8 LMS Evo | 1'47.734 | 1.246 |
19 | 99 | | Audi R8 LMS Evo | 1'48.087 | 1.599 |
View full results |
Related video

Monza DTM: Mercedes sets Friday practice pace, Albon third
Monza DTM: Lawson wins for Red Bull as GT3 era begins

Latest news
How Audi DTM heavyweights Rast and Muller compare
The GT3-based DTM is a different proposition to the Class 1 era that ended in 2020, but Audi’s top protagonists remain the same. Rivals Rene Rast and Nico Muller have now swapped teams, making their Team Rosberg and Abt engineers uniquely qualified to reveal what makes the pair tick.
David Schumacher surprised by friendlier DTM environment
David Schumacher says the convivial atmosphere in the DTM has come as a shock this year, having felt he had “no friends” during his time in single-seaters.
How Bernhard's Porsche “underdogs” made DTM history
Porsche didn’t take long to make its mark on the DTM, with its first victory arriving at the Norisring earlier this month. But few expected that to come courtesy underrated Austrian Thomas Preining and his single-car Bernhard team. Here’s how they did it.
DTM rejects drivers' demand for repeater lights in rolling starts
The DTM has turned down calls from drivers to install a set of repeater lights to improve visibility and cut down the chances of startline accidents.
The longest-serving Red Bull driver revealing F1’s true brutality
His day of days in Formula 1 came at Indianapolis in 2005, a day grand prix racing strives to forget. But Patrick Friesacher, the long-serving Red Bull lieutenant, remains active today driving a two-seater that provides ordinary people with a glimpse of an F1 car’s savage potential, including this writer...
How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir
OPINION: Questionable driving standards and farcical team orders meant the DTM's first season under GT3 regulations ended under a cloud. But the organisation has responded firmly by banning team orders and welcomed new manufacturers, making for an intriguing season ahead as new and returning names prepare for battle.
The remarkable career of 'classy' champion Martin Tomczyk
Over two decades as a factory driver with Audi and BMW, Martin Tomczyk earned the respect of teammates and rivals as a hard but fair racer. After calling time on his racing career, the 2011 DTM champion sat down with Motorsport.com to look back.
Jamie Green: The other Hamilton conqueror seeking career revival
On his rise through the ranks before reaching Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton was usually a cut above the rest. But he never truly asserted himself over a Mercedes-backed fellow Briton who traded single-seaters for touring cars and is now seeking new opportunities after a year largely spent on the sidelines.
How the DTM's shambolic finale poses awkward future questions
OPINION: The scenes at the Norisring as Mercedes used blatant team orders to secure the first DTM title of the new GT3 era totally undermined the credibility of the championship. But as well as overshadowing the season, it also presents uncomfortable questions to series bosses about the direction it is headed in.
How Audi's new DTM flagbearer is closing on his "childhood dream"
Having learned the ropes in GT3 alongside Rene Rast, Kelvin van der Linde is in line to take up the three-time champion's baton as Audi's new DTM king. From humble origins in South Africa, it's been a remarkable journey so far for the current series leader, but he knows that the 2021 title is a long way from settled just yet.
The number-crunching behind the new-look DTM's equalisation drive
Switching to GT3 regulations marked a fresh start for the DTM in 2021, but it has also drawn a line in the sand against other series using similar cars by engaging AVL Racing to develop a bespoke Balance of Performance system. Here’s how it works.
The initial verdict on DTM's move to GT3 cars
OPINION: Facing collapse last year, the DTM has shifted its philosophy from a championship for silhouette-based touring cars to GT machines not too dissimilar to those racing across multiple series worldwide. But despite some initial BoP-based teething troubles, there were some pleasant findings as the 'new DTM' got underway at Monza