René Rast set the pace in the final practice session for the DTM at the Hockenheimring, with the reigning champion lapping the circuit two tenths faster than fellow Audi driver Jamie Green.
Rast had twice previously gone to the top of the times, but as various other drivers, including Mike Rockenfeller and Gary Paffett, went faster he was forced to continue to up his game.
Rast’s final best time of 1 minute 32.931 seconds was posted in the final minute of the half-hour session, giving him the edge over Team Rosberg team-mate Green and BMW Team RMG’s Timo Glock in third.
Saturday’s race one winner Paffett ended up in fourth, 0.317 seconds back, as the leading Mercedes driver, ahead of Audi’s Loïc Duval in fifth.
Mercedes’ Lucas Auer was sixth, ahead of August Farfus in seventh – with the Brazilian being just one of two BMW drivers to break into the top ten.
Mercedes’ Paul di Resta, Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller and Mercedes’ Edoardo Mortara completed the top ten.
Nico Müller was the only driver to go off in a notable way during the session, when the 26-year-old Swiss racer beached his Audi in the gravel in the stadium complex after 17 minutes, necessitating his car being recovered by the marshals.
Qualifying for race two takes place at 11:25 CEST (10:25 BST).
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 33 | René RAST |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 17 | 1:32.931 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 53 | Jamie GREEN |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 18 | 1:33.175 | 0.244 |
| 3 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 14 | 1:33.224 | 0.293 |
| 4 | 2 | Gary PAFFETT | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport PETRONAS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 16 | 1:33.248 | 0.317 |
| 5 | 28 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 18 | 1:33.360 | 0.429 |
| 6 | 22 | Lucas AUER |  |
SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 16 | 1:33.524 | 0.593 |
| 7 | 15 | Augusto FARFUS |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 16 | 1:33.606 | 0.675 |
| 8 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport REMUS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 14 | 1:33.637 | 0.706 |
| 9 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 17 | 1:33.715 | 0.784 |
| 10 | 48 | Edoardo MORTARA |  |
SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 17 | 1:33.882 | 0.951 |
| 11 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 16 | 1:33.886 | 0.955 |
| 12 | 25 | Philipp ENG | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 16 | 1:33.899 | 0.968 |
| 13 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 14 | 1:33.980 | 1.049 |
| 14 | 4 | Robin FRIJNS |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 17 | 1:34.035 | 1.104 |
| 15 | 47 | Joel ERIKSSON |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 14 | 1:34.042 | 1.111 |
| 16 | 23 | Daniel JUNCADELLA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport REMUS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 15 | 1:34.170 | 1.239 |
| 17 | 94 | Pascal WEHRLEIN | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport PETRONAS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 16 | 1:34.270 | 1.339 |
| 18 | 5 | Mattias EKSTRÖM | |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 15 | 1:34.276 | 1.345 |
| 19 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 10 | 1:35.524 | 2.593 |