René Rast bags Norisring race two pole with last gasp lap

Audi Sport Team Rosberg driver René Rast claimed pole for the second DTM race at the Norisring on his final hotlap with a time of 46.146 seconds. The 2017 champion will head a Team Rosberg front row lock out pending a investigation into Jamie Green failing to obey red flag rules.

Heavy overnight rain had left the track in a relatively ‘green’ state, and so drivers were taking an extra lap to understand the grip levels before setting a quick time.

Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Nico Müller was the early pace setter with a laptime of 46.264 seconds before the red flag was waved with 14 minutes to go for BMW Team RMR’s Timo Glock who had stopped before the final corner.

As the session was restarted a number of drivers waited till the final ten minutes to head out on track.

The circuit was becoming more rubbered in, and it became a shootout for pole between the Audi Sport Team Rosberg cars, Müller and Audi Sport Team Phoenix’s Loïc Duval.

Müller bettered his time to extend his lead at the top, before Green knocked him off the top spot. Then Duval briefly went second before both Green and then Müller set identical times.

Lighting up the timing screens, however, was race one winner Rast and with half a minute to go took pole by 0.007 seconds.

Green will line up alongside him after setting his 46.153 second lap time before Müller, but the stewards are yet to make a decision regarding his driving under red flag conditions.

Saturday pole sitter Müller will head the second row alongside Duval.

The fastest of the BMW’s was Team RMR’s Philipp Eng who will start fifth with with a time of 46.192 seconds, less than half a tenth slower than Rast.

The second Audi Sport Team Phoenix car of Mike Rockenfeller will complete the third row, after setting a time of 46.257 seconds.

BMW Team RMG’s Bruno Spengler will head the fourth row in seventh, alongside DTM rookie Sheldon van der Linde, the BMW Team RBM driver looking to make up for his untidy race one that saw him receive a drive-through for contact with Glock.

Home hero, BMW Team RMG’s Marco Wittmann will line up in ninth with a time 0.368 seconds slower than pole, with DTM rookie Jonathan Aberdein rounding out the top ten for Audi Sport Team WRT.

Daniel Juncadella was once again the best placed of the R-Motorsport Aston Martins, the Spaniard will start race two from 13th on the grid after setting a time of 46.712 seconds, 0.566 seconds off Rast’s pole time.

Race two will start at 13:15 CEST (12:15 BST)

Qualifying result

POS	NO	DRIVER	NAT	ENTRANT	CAR	LAPS	TIME	GAP
1	33	René RAST		Audi Sport Team Rosberg	Audi RS5 DTM	16	46.146	0.000
2	53	Jamie GREEN		Audi Sport Team Rosberg	Audi RS5 DTM	21	46.153	0.007
3	51	Nico MÜLLER		Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline	Audi RS5 DTM	20	46.153	0.007
4	28	Loïc DUVAL		Audi Sport Team Phoenix	Audi RS5 DTM	15	46.186	0.040
5	25	Philipp ENG		BMW Team RMR	BMW M4 DTM	14	46.192	0.046
6	99	Mike ROCKENFELLER		Audi Sport Team Phoenix	Audi RS5 DTM	17	46.257	0.111
7	7	Bruno SPENGLER		BMW Team RMG	BMW M4 DTM	17	46.373	0.227
8	31	Sheldon VAN DER LINDE		BMW Team RBM	BMW M4 DTM	18	46.490	0.344
9	11	Marco WITTMANN		BMW Team RMG	BMW M4 DTM	16	46.514	0.368
10	27	Jonathan ABERDEIN		Audi Sport Team WRT	Audi RS5 DTM	17	46.564	0.418
11	4	Robin FRIJNS		Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline	Audi RS5 DTM	16	46.591	0.445
12	47	Joel ERIKSSON		BMW Team RBM	BMW M4 DTM	15	46.604	0.458
13	23	Daniel JUNCADELLA		R-Motorsport	Aston Martin Vantage DTM	17	46.712	0.566
14	3	Paul DI RESTA		R-Motorsport	Aston Martin Vantage DTM	20	46.745	0.599
15	62	Ferdinand VON HABSBURG		R-Motorsport	Aston Martin Vantage DTM	19	46.750	0.604
16	21	Pietro FITTIPALDI		Audi Sport Team WRT	Audi RS5 DTM	18	46.777	0.631
17	76	Jake DENNIS		R-Motorsport	Aston Martin Vantage DTM	20	46.950	0.804
18	16	Timo GLOCK		BMW Team RMR	BMW M4 DTM	5	51.883	5.737