DTM: Hockenheim

[Plex]

Paffett claims pole for DTM opener

Gary Paffett will start from pole position for the DTM season opener at Hockenheim after narrowly beating Martin Tomczyk to the top spot in qualifying.

The 2005 champion edged the Audi driver by just 0.076 seconds in the four-way pole position shoot-out, as Mercedes bounced back after Audis had topped both free practice sessions this weekend.

Tomczyk was the only Audi driver to get through to Q4, as Bruno Spengler and the 2008-spec car of Jamie Green filled the second row of the grid.

Green had the honour of running last in the shoot-out after he was quickest in Q3, but he was unable to repeat his pace and had to settle for fourth on the grid.

Mattias Ekstrom, Paul di Resta, Oliver Jarvis and Q2 pace-setter Mike Rockenfeller completed the top eight, while reigning champion Timo Scheider was eliminated early in the proceedings and had to settle for ninth on the grid.

The German had already been in trouble earlier in the session when his Q1 lap was taken away because he went too wide at Turn 1. That meant that he had to go back out with two minutes remaining to avoid starting at the back of the grid.

Later on he was set to narrowly make it into Q3, but was knocked back to ninth by a late effort from his Abt team-mate Ekstrom.

David Coulthard will start his first DTM race from the back row of the grid in 17th place, the Scot admitting that his lap was the best he could manage.

Grid:

Pos Driver Car Time
1. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1m33.214s
2. Martin Tomczyk Audi 1m33.290s
3. Bruno Spengler Mercedes 1m33.319s
4. Jamie Green Mercedes 1m33.389s
5. Mattias Ekstrom Audi 1m32.924s
6. Paul di Resta Mercedes 1m33.193s
7. Oliver Jarvis Audi 1m33.296s
8. Mike Rockenfeller Audi 1m33.670s
9. Timo Scheider Audi 1m33.017s
10. Maro Engel Mercedes 1m33.160s
11. Alexandre Premat Audi 1m33.330s
12. Markus Winkelhock Audi 1m33.411s
13. Miguel Molina Audi 1m33.509s
14. Franky Cheng Mercedes 1m33.738s
15. Susie Stoddart Mercedes 1m34.118s
16. Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 1m34.361s
17. David Coulthard Mercedes 1m34.791s
18. Katherine Legge Audi 1m34.948s

Q1:

Pos Driver Car Time Gap
1. Martin Tomczyk Audi 1m33.298s
2. Bruno Spengler Mercedes 1m33.484s + 0.186s
3. Jamie Green Mercedes 1m33.530s + 0.232s
4. Maro Engel Mercedes 1m33.634s + 0.336s
5. Timo Scheider Audi 1m33.640s + 0.342s
6. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1m33.693s + 0.395s
7. Alexandre Premat Audi 1m33.733s + 0.435s
8. Paul di Resta Mercedes 1m33.869s + 0.571s
9. Mattias Ekstrom Audi 1m33.965s + 0.667s
10. Mike Rockenfeller Audi 1m33.976s + 0.678s
11. Markus Winkelhock Audi 1m34.032s + 0.734s
12. Miguel Molina Audi 1m34.033s + 0.735s
13. Franky Cheng Mercedes 1m34.107s + 0.809s
14. Oliver Jarvis Audi 1m34.112s + 0.814s
15. Susie Stoddart Mercedes 1m34.118s + 0.820s
16. Ralf Schumacher Mercedes 1m34.361s + 1.063s
17. David Coulthard Mercedes 1m34.791s + 1.493s
18. Katherine Legge Audi 1m34.948s + 1.650s

Q2:

Pos Driver Car Time Gap
1. Mike Rockenfeller Audi 1m32.647s
2. Paul di Resta Mercedes 1m32.708s + 0.061s
3. Martin Tomczyk Audi 1m32.748s + 0.101s
4. Mattias Ekstrom Audi 1m32.782s + 0.135s
5. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1m32.801s + 0.154s
6. Bruno Spengler Mercedes 1m32.813s + 0.166s
7. Oliver Jarvis Audi 1m32.916s + 0.269s
8. Jamie Green Mercedes 1m32.916s + 0.269s
9. Timo Scheider Audi 1m33.017s + 0.370s
10. Maro Engel Mercedes 1m33.160s + 0.513s
11. Alexandre Premat Audi 1m33.330s + 0.683s
12. Markus Winkelhock Audi 1m33.411s + 0.764s
13. Miguel Molina Audi 1m33.509s + 0.862s
14. Franky Cheng Mercedes 1m33.738s + 1.091s

Q3:

Pos Driver Car Time Gap
1. Jamie Green Mercedes 1m32.724s
2. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1m32.808s + 0.084s
3. Martin Tomczyk Audi 1m32.809s + 0.085s
4. Bruno Spengler Mercedes 1m32.845s + 0.121s
5. Mattias Ekstrom Audi 1m32.924s + 0.200s
6. Paul di Resta Mercedes 1m33.193s + 0.469s
7. Oliver Jarvis Audi 1m33.296s + 0.572s
8. Mike Rockenfeller Audi 1m33.670s + 0.946s

Q4:

Pos Driver Car Time Gap
1. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1m33.214s
2. Martin Tomczyk Audi 1m33.290s + 0.076s
3. Bruno Spengler Mercedes 1m33.319s + 0.105s
4. Jamie Green Mercedes 1m33.389s + 0.175s

Autosport

[Plex]

Paffett wins as Mercedes dominates

Gary Paffett led a Mercedes 1-2-3-4 in the DTM season opener at Hockenheim on Sunday, as Audi endured a race to forget.

The 2005 champion, who slowed in the closing stages to protect his car, led home Bruno Spengler, Jamie Green and Paul di Resta to complete a dominant result for Mercedes.

Paffett ran at the head of the field from lap 11, when early leader Martin Tomczyk spun his Audi in spectacular fashion at the first corner due to a left-rear puncture. The German had taken the lead on the opening lap, and looked relatively comfortable before his tyre failure.

The main threat to Paffett's lead after that came from his old Audi rival Mattias Ekstrom, but the Swede was ruled out of contention when it was discovered that he had made his first pitstop one lap before the pit window was opened, so he was forced to come in for a third stop.

That promoted the 2008-car of Green into second, but the Persson driver had no answer to a charging Spengler, who demoted the Briton to third on lap 32.

As Paffett slowed the lead group di Resta was also able to close up, and by the end of the race the lead Audis of Mike Rockenfeller and a recovering Ekstrom were also on the tail of the leaders.

Behind the top six, reigning champion Timo Scheider had a quiet run to a distant seventh for Audi, while DTM rookie Miguel Molina took the final point.

David Coulthard achieved his aim of making the finish in his first race in the German series, coming home 12th just ahead of fellow Mercedes rookie Franky Cheng.

Pos Driver Car Time/Gap
1. Gary Paffett Mercedes 1h02m31.580s
2. Bruno Spengler Mercedes + 0.567s
3. Jamie Green Mercedes + 1.841s
4. Paul di Resta Mercedes + 2.251s
5. Mike Rockenfeller Audi + 3.201s
6. Mattias Ekstrom Audi + 3.420s
7. Timo Scheider Audi + 13.067s
8. Miguel Molina Audi + 13.503s
9. Ralf Schumacher Mercedes + 16.911s
10. Alexandre Premat Audi + 28.509s
11. Susie Stoddart Mercedes + 28.944s
12. David Coulthard Mercedes + 35.164s
13. Franky Cheng Mercedes + 36.589s
14. Katherine Legge Audi + 46.817s
15. Markus Winkelhock Audi + 1m14.113s
16. Maro Engel Mercedes + 1m20.480s
17. Martin Tomczyk Audi + 7 laps

Retirements:

Oliver Jarvis Audi 1 lap

Autosport