BMW Team Schnitzer’s Dirk Werner was fastest in free practice for this weekend’s Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters finale at the Hockenheimring, lapping the GP circuit 0.174 seconds faster than Audi’s Adrien Tambay.
Click here for the full free practice times.
Werner, who scored his first and to-date only DTM podium at the Hockenheimring season opener, posted the fastest lap of the hour and a half session with just two minutes remaining, although the German had been near the top of the times throughout the session.
Frenchman Tambay was second fastest, having also been in the top ten throughout. The Audi driver moved to the top of the times with eight minutes to go, before his time was bettered by Werner twice in the closing minutes.
Former champion Bruno Spengler ended the session in third, having improved from 15th in the closing minutes. BMW Team MTEK’s Marco Wittmann and Timo Glock were fourth and fifth fastest respectively, with Wittmann having enjoyed a spell at the top of the times with around 20 minutes to go.
New champion Mike Rockenfeller was sixth fastest for Audi, heading a quartet of Audi drivers with Miguel Molina, Edoardo Mortara and Timo Scheider seventh, eighth and ninth respectively.
BMW Team RMG’s Martin Tomczyk completed the top ten, 0.486 seconds off the pace.
Audi’s Jamie Green was the top Brit in 11th, immediately ahead of fellow Brit Andy Priaulx in 12th after an encouraging session for the BMW driver.
The top Mercedes-Benz driver was Gary Paffett in 14th, with the Silver Arrows once again struggling for single-lap pace. Robert Wickens, 17th, caused a yellow flag at the end of the session when he put his Mercedes into the gravel at the Sachs Curve in the stadium section.
The top 19 cars were seperated by less than a second, with the entire field covered by 1.877 seconds.
Qualifying takes place at 14:40 CEST (13:40 BST) and will be broadcast LIVE at TouringCars.Net.