Kiesa tops first Barcelona test

A huge surprise in the first DTM test in Spain: with Nicolas Kiesa in the 2004-Audi A4, the Audi team Futurecom TME set the fastest time while Vanina Ickx was second behind Kiesa. On his fastest lap, the Dane needed 1:06.087 minutes to lap the 2.949 kilometres short circuit of the GP track.

Vanina Ickx completed the excellent team result by finishing second, 4.194 seconds down on the fastest time. The first of two test sessions on Friday took place in adverse conditions. The Spanish sun was nowhere to be seen, it rained almost throughout the 90 minutes’ session with temperatures ranging around 22 degrees.

The fastest times for Kiesa and Ickx didn’t come by chance: they both set their fastest times at the beginning of the session when the track was still relatively dry. As the rain became stronger after that, the other drivers failed to match their times.

Mika Häkkinen was the fastest driver with a 2006-spec DTM car. With his AMG-Mercedes C-Class, he was third with a lap time of 1.13.201 minutes ahead of three further Mercedes-Benz-drivers: Jamie Green in fourth place, Bernd Schneider in fifth and Bruno Spengler, completing the Mercedes quartet in sixth position.

Seventh-placed Heinz-Harald Frentzen was the best-placed driver of the Audi Team Abt Sportsline in the first test. Jean Alesi was eighth, Tom Kristensen ninth and Susie Stoddart completed the top 10.