Norisring DTM: Wickens on breakthrough pole, Rockenfeller struggles
Mercedes driver Robert Wickens took his maiden DTM pole position with an impressive performance in qualifying at the Norisring, as championship leader Mike Rockenfeller had a disastrous day
After topping the first part of qualifying and easily progressing into the single-lap Q4 shootout, Wickens took provisional pole in his HWA C-coupe in 48.384 seconds.
Champion Bruno Spengler, the only man left to make his Q4 effort after Wickens, then fell short by 0.059s in his Schnitzer BMW, completing an all-Canadian front row.
Wickens' team-mate Gary Paffett and Rosberg Audi driver Edoardo Mortara completed the front two rows.
Mercedes driver Pascal Wehrlein will start in a career-best fifth spot while Andy Priaulx equalled his best in the DTM with sixth for the RMG BMW squad, having impressively set the pace in Q2.
Wehrlein's RSC Mucke team-mate Daniel Juncadella was another to qualify higher than ever before in seventh while Filipe Albuquerque, Mattias Ekstrom - who spun at the final corner in Q2 - and Christian Vietoris completed the top 10.
Abt Audi driver Jamie Green, who has won four of the past five Norisring DTM races, will start down in 14th after missing out on Q3.
Rockenfeller, who is level on points with Spengler at the top of the championship but ahead of countback, fared even worse.
The Phoenix Audi driver starts 19th after late Q1 laps from Augusto Farfus and Joey Hand forced him out of the reckoning for the next part of the session.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Robert Wickens HWA Mercedes 48.384s 2. Bruno Spengler Schnitzer BMW 48.443s +0.059s 3. Gary Paffett HWA Mercedes 48.460s +0.076s 4. Edoardo Mortara Rosberg Audi 48.490s +0.106s 5. Pascal Wehrlein Mucke Mercedes 48.356s Q3 6. Andy Priaulx RMG BMW 48.406s Q3 7. Daniel Juncadella Mucke Mercedes 48.410s Q3 8. Filipe Albuquerque Rosberg Audi 48.454s Q3 9. Mattias Ekstrom Abt Audi 48.456s Q3 10. Christian Vietoris HWA Mercedes 48.485s Q3 11. Adrien Tambay Abt Audi 48.443s Q2 12. Marco Wittmann MTEK BMW 48.446s Q2 13. Timo Scheider Abt Audi 48.459s Q2 14. Jamie Green Abt Audi 48.465s Q2 15. Augusto Farfus RBM BMW 48.628s Q2 16. Timo Glock MTEK BMW 48.724s Q2 17. Martin Tomczyk RMG BMW 48.632s Q1 18. Joey Hand RBM BMW 48.636s Q1 19. Mike Rockenfeller Phoenix Audi 48.644s Q1 20. Dirk Werner Schnitzer BMW 48.656s Q1 21. Roberto Merhi HWA Mercedes 48.848s Q1 22. Miguel Molina Phoenix Audi 48.874s Q1
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