DTM: Red Bull Cola

[Plex]

Di Resta lands first blow at finale

Paul di Resta scored the first blow ahead of this weekend's DTM title showdown by snatching the top spot in the dying seconds of free practice on Friday.

In a rare session that bucked the trend of usual DTM Fridays, all of the frontrunners in 2008 machinery were setting competitive times throughout the 90 minutes.

Audi seemed set for a top four lock-out with two minutes remaining, but di Resta strung a lap together at the end to go fastest by three tenths of a second.

The morning pacesetter Martin Tomczyk - sporting a revised Red Bull Cola livery for this weekend - was second in the afternoon ahead of reigning champion Mattias Ekstrom, while di Resta's title rival Timo Scheider ended up fourth after being fastest for a long time.

The championship contenders, who are separated by just two points (in Scheider's favour) heading into this weekend's finale, nearly had a chance to face off at the end of the session, when all drivers are allowed to make practice starts on the grid.

The cars can take off two at a time, but as Scheider sat on the pole position grid slot, di Resta and his teammate Bernd Schneider opted to leave him to start alone, before taking off together once he was gone.

Behind Tom Kristensen in fifth, the Mercedes of Bruno Spengler, Jamie Green, and the retiring Schneider completed the top eight. Gary Paffett and Oliver Jarvis rounded out the top ten in their 2007-spec cars.

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1. Paul di Resta Mercedes 1:32.783
2. Martin Tomczyk Audi 1:33.095 +0.312
3. Mattias Ekstrom Audi 1:33.165 +0.382
4. Timo Scheider Audi 1:33.182 +0.399
5. Tom Kristensen Audi 1:33.551 +0.768
6. Bruno Spengler Mercedes 1:33.667 +0.884
7. Jamie Green Mercedes 1:33.685 +0.902
8. Bernd Schneider Mercedes 1:33.760 +0.977
9. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1:33.788 +1.005
10. Oliver Jarvis Audi 1:33.967 +1.184
11. Christijan Albers Audi 1:33.988 +1.205
12. Alexandre Premat Audi 1:34.297 +1.514
13. Mike Rockenfeller Audi 1:34.300 +1.517
14. Markus Winkelhock Audi 1:34.519 +1.736
15. Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 1:34.753 +1.970
16. Susie Stoddart Mercedes 1:34.812 +2.029
17. Maro Engel Mercedes 1:34.848 +2.065
18. Mathias Lauda Mercedes 1:35.199 +2.416
19. Katherine Legge Audi 1:35.808 +3.025

Autosport

[Plex]

Tomczyk tops final practice session

Martin Tomczyk topped the final free practice session of the DTM season ahead of Saturday's qualifying session, while title contenders Timo Scheider and Paul di Resta were separated by just 0.007 seconds.

The session was slow to get going as cool temperatures prevented the track from properly drying out and the four HWA Mercedes drivers waited until the final 20 minutes of the one hour session to take to the track.

Scheider was quickest at one point, but the times began to tumble in the final few minutes and he was watching on from the garage as di Resta put in a quick lap. The Scot was faster in the first sector but eventually came up short by seven thousandths of a second.

The Mercedes driver had one more hot lap as the session was drawing to a close, but he locked up under braking for the hairpin and went straight on.

The title contenders didn't stay at the top though, as Scheider's Abt Audi teammates Tomczyk and Mattias Ekstrom pushed them back to third and fourth.

Tom Kristensen made sure that Audi repeated their Friday feat of getting all four 2008 cars into the top five, while Mike Rockenfeller was the top driver in a one-year-old car in sixth place.

Pos Driver Car Time Gap
1. Martin Tomczyk Audi 1:33.140
2. Mattias Ekstrom Audi 1:33.232 +0.092
3. Timo Scheider Audi 1:33.383 +0.243
4. Paul di Resta Mercedes 1:33.390 +0.250
5. Tom Kristensen Audi 1:33.568 +0.428
6. Mike Rockenfeller Audi 1:33.627 +0.487
7. Jamie Green Mercedes 1:33.676 +0.536
8. Bruno Spengler Mercedes 1:33.900 +0.760
9. Maro Engel Mercedes 1:33.966 +0.826
10. Markus Winkelhock Audi 1:34.056 +0.916
11. Bernd Schneider Mercedes 1:34.096 +0.956
12. Alexandre Premat Audi 1:34.171 +1.031
13. Oliver Jarvis Audi 1:34.480 +1.340
14. Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 1:34.562 +1.422
15. Christijan Albers Audi 1:34.732 +1.592
16. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1:34.762 +1.622
17. Susie Stoddart Mercedes 1:34.795 +1.655
18. Katherine Legge Audi 1:35.169 +2.029
19. Mathias Lauda Mercedes 1:35.520 +2.380

Autosport

[Plex]

Ekstrom on pole ahead of title rivals

Mattias Ekstrom has taken pole position for the DTM season finale at Hockenheim, with title contenders Paul di Resta and Timo Scheider lining up second and third.

The reigning champion snatched pole from di Resta by four hundredths of a second, while Scheider finished the session two tenths adrift of the front row pair.

"It was very close between me and Mattias but he did a better lap," said di Resta. "I think we're in good shape for tomorrow, but Timo is only one place behind so anything can happen."

Ekstrom and di Resta did their best laps on their first set of tyres in Q3, but Scheider had to improve on his second run as he was briefly behind Jamie Green in the closing stages and did not want to start with a Mercedes between himself and di Resta.

Green took fourth in the end ahead of Bernd Schneider, while Bruno Spengler completed the top six, meaning that Scheider has di Resta's three HWA Mercedes teammates directly behind him on the grid, while di Resta himself has Ekstrom's Team Abt Audi ahead and Scheider's right behind.

Behind the top six, Martin Tomczyk and Tom Kristensen comple the top eigh and Mike Rockenfeller won the battle for top 2007 car to take ninth place in an extended second segment of qualifying.

All drivers were allowed through to Q2 after Q1 was red flagged when Markus Winkelhock crashed on the entry to the stadium section. The German was unable to get back out, so he will start last.

Pos Driver Car Time Gap
1. Mattias Ekstrom Audi 1:32.244
2. Paul di Resta Mercedes 1:32.284 +0.040
3. Timo Scheider Audi 1:32.492 +0.248
4. Jamie Green Mercedes 1:32.615 +0.371
5. Bernd Schneider Mercedes 1:32.680 +0.436
6. Bruno Spengler Mercedes 1:32.769 +0.525
7. Martin Tomczyk Audi 1:32.930 +0.686
8. Tom Kristensen Audi 1:33.005 +0.761
9. Mike Rockenfeller Audi 1:33.578 +1.334
10. Oliver Jarvis Audi 1:33.612 +1.368
11. Alexandre Premat Audi 1:33.737 +1.493
12. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1:33.742 +1.498
13. Christijan Albers Audi 1:33.770 +1.526
14. Maro Engel Mercedes 1:33.935 +1.691
15. Mathias Lauda Mercedes 1:34.459 +2.215
16. Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 1:34.499 +2.255
17. Susie Stoddart Mercedes 1:34.665 +2.421
18. Katherine Legge Audi 1:35.756 +3.512
19. Markus Winkelhock Audi no time

Autosport

[Plex]

Di Resta doesn't fear Audi tactics

Paul di Resta says he is not worried about Mattias Ekstrom's promise to race him hard if the pair are battling in Sunday's DTM finale.

Ekstrom said after qualifying that he would make things a lot easier for Timo Scheider than he would for di Resta if he finds himself racing the title chasers, but di Resta is hoping that any team tactics do not go too far.

"I'm not worried," di Resta told autosport.com. "It's going to be a long race, with a lot of people involved.

"If anyone wants to be silly then let them. I'm sure the officials will deal with anything accordingly.

"I will fight with him, but it has to be within reason. I understand that he's going to fight harder with me, and I'm sure my teammates will do that with Timo, but everyone just needs to keep it clean."

Di Resta goes into Sunday's finale two points behind Scheider, and one place ahead of the German on the grid.

Despite being off the racing line by starting second, the Scot is optimistic for the start of the race after a strong practice start from the dirty side of the track on Friday.

"My start on Friday was very good, and there will have been more races putting rubber on that side by the time Sunday comes," he added.

"I don't see it as a disadvantage, I only see it as a possible advantage, because if I make a good start I'll have the inside for Turn 1."

Autosport

[Plex]

Scheider takes title with victory

Timo Scheider wrapped up the DTM title in style by winning the final race of the year at Hockenheim.

The Audi driver snatched the lead from third on the grid at the start and then opened up a gap that he would never lose to title rival Paul di Resta during the pit stops.

"It is an unbelievable feeling right now, I was fighting the tears on the last lap," said Scheider. "Maybe I will have to stand out the back without anyone around me before I start believing it. It has been a perfect day."

Di Resta came home second, just three seconds adrift, but the Mercedes driver was never quite close enough to attack his German rival at any point.

After letting the fast-starting Scheider through into the lead into Turn 1, Mattias Ekstrom briefly held up di Resta on the opening lap.

The Swede ran wide into Turns 2 and 3 to keep the Mercedes at bay, to the point that Jamie Green passed them both into the hairpin. Ekstrom was later eventually hit with a three-second stop-go penalty.

Di Resta closed in during the first stint, but Scheider extended the gap during the pit stops and maintained it for the remainder of the race.

"First of all we have to congratulate Timo, he's had a great season," said Di Resta. "He did a great job today. I'm a bit disappointed with Mattias Ekstrom, but I'm happy with second. It's been a strong season in my first year with the top team at Mercedes."

Di Resta crossed the line with a queue of cars behind him, as Jamie Green and Bruno Spengler caught him during the final laps, while Tom Kristensen closed up to them on the final lap in fifth place.

Behind them, Bernd Schneider took sixth place in his final DTM

Pos Driver Car Gap
1. Timo Scheider Audi 59:01.290
2. Paul di Resta Mercedes +3.062
3. Jamie Green Mercedes +3.549
4. Bruno Spengler Mercedes +4.293
5. Tom Kristensen Audi +4.734
6. Bernd Schneider Mercedes +15.300
7. Mattias Ekstrom Audi +19.839
8. Martin Tomczyk Audi +20.635
9. Mike Rockenfeller Audi +37.154
10. Oliver Jarvis Audi +44.263
11. Gary Paffett Mercedes +54.135
12. Maro Engel Mercedes +54.542
13. Alexandre Premat Audi +1:04.597
14. Ralf Schumacher Mercedes +1:05.432

Retirements

Katherine Legge Audi 26 laps
Mathias Lauda Mercedes 2 laps
Markus Winkelhock Audi 2 laps
Susie Stoddart Mercedes 2 laps
Christijan Albers Audi 2 laps


Fastest lap, di Resta 1:33.576 on lap 14

Autosport