Mike Rockenfeller headed up an Audi 1-2-3-4 at the top of the times in first practice for the DTM at the Norisring, with the 2013 champion ending up over a tenth clear of Loïc Duval in the second Team Phoenix RS5.
Rockenfeller – who has never even scored a podium finish on the Nuremberg circuit before – edged out his French team-mate in a relatively sedate first session of the day, with the 18-car field covered by almost a second and a half on the 2.3 km circuit.
2017 champion René Rast and Nico Müller were third and fourth respectively, whilst fifth-placed Philipp Eng was the best BMW driver, over half a second off the pace.
Dutchman Robin Frijns put his Abt Sportsline Audi in sixth, ahead of BMW’s Bruno Spengler in seventh and the second Rosberg Audi of Jamie Green in eighth.
R Motorsport Aston Martin’s Daniel Juncadella was ninth, with the top ten being completed by BMW’s Marco Wittmann.
Second practice takes place at 16:15 CEST (15:15 BST).
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 39 | 46.527 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 28 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 44 | 46.657 | 0.130 |
| 3 | 33 | René RAST | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 36 | 46.699 | 0.172 |
| 4 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 51 | 46.747 | 0.220 |
| 5 | 25 | Philipp ENG |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 50 | 47.046 | 0.519 |
| 6 | 4 | Robin FRIJNS |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 32 | 47.096 | 0.569 |
| 7 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 41 | 47.144 | 0.617 |
| 8 | 53 | Jamie GREEN |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 54 | 47.208 | 0.681 |
| 9 | 23 | Daniel JUNCADELLA |  |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 46 | 47.337 | 0.810 |
| 10 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 45 | 47.408 | 0.881 |
| 11 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 31 | 47.504 | 0.977 |
| 12 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 48 | 47.508 | 0.981 |
| 13 | 47 | Joel ERIKSSON |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 40 | 47.561 | 1.034 |
| 14 | 62 | Ferdinand VON HABSBURG | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 45 | 47.704 | 1.177 |
| 15 | 31 | Sheldon VAN DER LINDE |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 49 | 47.723 | 1.196 |
| 16 | 76 | Jake DENNIS | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 12 | 47.744 | 1.217 |
| 17 | 21 | Pietro FITTIPALDI |  |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 27 | 47.826 | 1.299 |
| 18 | 27 | Jonathan ABERDEIN | |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 40 | 48.019 | 1.492 |