Mike Rockenfeller led an Audi top six in the first DTM free practice session for the season finale at the Hockenheimring, ahead of championship leader René Rast.
As is usual in the longer first session of the weekend the fastest laps were set early on in the session, as drivers sought to simulate race runs rather than raw one-lap pace.
That meant that team Phoenix’s Rockenfeller hit the top of the times in the first half of the session and remained there for the next half an hour with his lap of 1 minute 29.594 seconds.
Rast was just 0.144 seconds behind under clear and sunny skies at the cool Hockenheim circuit, with the independent WRT Audi of Ferdinand von Habsburg in third.
Jamie Green was fourth for Team Rosberg, ahead of the second Team Phoenix car of Loïc Duval and Abt Sportsline’s title contender Nico Müller.
Timo Glock was the best BMW driver down in seventh, over half a second off the pace.
The top ten was completed by WRT duo Harrison Newey and Fabio Scherer, and BMW’s Sheldon van der Linde.
The only Audi driver not to make the top ten was Robin Frijns, who still has an outside chance of the title this weekend.
Second practice is scheduled to get underway at 16:20 CET (15:20 GMT).
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 27 | 1:29.594 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 33 | René RAST | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 27 | 1:29.738 | 0.144 |
| 3 | 62 | Ferdinand VON HABSBURG |  |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 27 | 1:29.751 | 0.157 |
| 4 | 53 | Jamie GREEN |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 26 | 1:29.757 | 0.163 |
| 5 | 28 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 26 | 1:29.810 | 0.216 |
| 6 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 28 | 1:29.947 | 0.353 |
| 7 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 22 | 1:30.115 | 0.521 |
| 8 | 10 | Harrison NEWEY | |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 24 | 1:30.261 | 0.667 |
| 9 | 13 | Fabio SCHERER | |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 24 | 1:30.397 | 0.803 |
| 10 | 31 | Sheldon VAN DER LINDE |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 26 | 1:30.487 | 0.893 |
| 11 | 27 | Jonathan ABERDEIN | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 23 | 1:30.608 | 1.014 |
| 12 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 22 | 1:30.625 | 1.031 |
| 13 | 8 | Robert KUBICA |  |
BMW Team ART | Audi RS5 DTM | 25 | 1:30.780 | 1.186 |
| 14 | 4 | Robin FRIJNS |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 26 | 1:30.956 | 1.362 |
| 15 | 25 | Philipp ENG | |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 24 | 1:31.007 | 1.413 |
| 16 | 22 | Lucas AUER | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 25 | 1:31.781 | 2.187 |