BMW Team RMG driver Timo Glock scored the second pole position of his DTM career this morning and will start the second race of the opening DTM weekend of the 2017 season from the front row.
The Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, was covered in light mist, when the 2017 DTM field took on the track to qualify for the second round of the weekend this morning.
The slippery asphalt demanded every bit of concentration from the 18 drivers, with many struggling to keep their cars on the road around the 4.574-km circuit.
Once a dry line was established, lap times started to tumble continuously with almost every driver who crossed the line setting a new benchmark.
Among the first contestants to take a gamble on fitting slick tyres was Glock, a move that set off a wave of cars pitting for new rubber. The German swiftly went to the top of the times by over a second.
Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller and Mercedes’ Robert Wickens had a little scare in the turn 6 hairpin, when the two almost came together. Rockenfeller went off the track and into the large run-off area with no major harm done to either driver.
With slick tyres displacing the wet weather compound, times started falling dramatically again during the final minutes of on-track action.
In the end, it was Glock again who went fastest as soon as the 20-minute session got waved off by the chequered flag. It is the German’s second career DTM pole position, with his first one at Oschersleben back in 2015.
DTM returnee René Rast came within 0.175 seconds of the BMW M4 of Glock, but hadhave to settle for 2nd place.
Jamie Green, who had a dreadful race on Saturday when he made contact with Maro Engel, will go into the second race from third on the grid. The Briton will shares the second row with the best-placed Mercedes-Benz of Edoardo Mortara.
Lucas Auer, winner of yesterday’s event, is set to start from eighth position.
The final race of the DTM season opener will start at 16:18 CEST (15:18 BST).
Qualifying results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 16 | Timo GLOCK |  |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 12 | 1:31.406 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 33 | René RAST | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 14 | 1:31.581 | 0.175 |
| 3 | 53 | Jamie GREEN |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 13 | 1:31.639 | 0.233 |
| 4 | 48 | Edoardo MORTARA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 12 | 1:31.759 | 0.353 |
| 5 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 13 | 1:31.764 | 0.358 |
| 6 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 11 | 1:31.924 | 0.518 |
| 7 | 2 | Gary PAFFETT | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 13 | 1:32.025 | 0.619 |
| 8 | 22 | Lucas AUER |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 13 | 1:32.068 | 0.662 |
| 9 | 63 | Maro ENGEL | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 13 | 1:32.081 | 0.675 |
| 10 | 5 | Mattias EKSTRÖM |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 14 | 1:32.096 | 0.690 |
| 11 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 13 | 1:32.103 | 0.697 |
| 12 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 13 | 1:32.228 | 0.822 |
| 13 | 77 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 12 | 1:32.335 | 0.929 |
| 14 | 31 | Tom BLOMQVIST | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 13 | 1:32.393 | 0.987 |
| 15 | 36 | Maxime MARTIN |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 12 | 1:32.529 | 1.123 |
| 16 | 6 | Robert WICKENS | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 13 | 1:32.552 | 1.146 |
| 17 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 13 | 1:32.661 | 1.255 |
| 18 | 15 | Augusto FARFUS |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 12 | 1:33.734 | 2.328 |