Photo: DTM Media

Spengler also fastest in warm up

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Warm-up of the DTM didn’t bring any major surprises. Pole-sitter Spengler confirmed his performance from qualifying and also set the fastest time at the 4.180 kilometres long Bugatti circuit. On his fastest lap, the Franco-Canadian set a time of 1.31.423 with his AMG-Mercedes C-Class.

DTM points leader Bernd Schneider, who had trouble in qualifying yesterday and will start from ninth place on the grid, was 0.340 seconds behind his team-mate in second place. Fastest Audi-driver in the final test before the race was Mattias Ekström in third position. The Swede drove a total of 15 laps and the fastest one of them in 1.31.850 minutes.

Fastest driver with a year-old car in the morning warm-up session was Frank Stippler. Behind Spengler, Schneider and Ekström, the driver from the Eifel region made it up into fourth place. Jamie Green in fifth was followed by another driver with a 2005-spec car, Daniel La Rosa.

Tom Kristensen, record winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours, was seventh in warm-up ahead of Mika Häkkinen in eighth place. Timo Scheider and Pierre Kaffer completed the top ten. Kaffer had to abandon his efforts in warm-up after the suspension of the right rear wheel on his car had broken.

The ninth round of the DTM is promising plenty of excitement. Can Bernd Schneider already claim his fifth title in the DTM? To do so, he only needs three points in the race, he may not finish any worse than sixth.

DTM-newcomer Thed Björk was in 15:th position, his best time being 1:32.632.

In the race, the drivers will complete 39 laps on the 4.180 kilometres long track, a total distance of 163.020 kilometres. The ARD will be broadcasting live from 13.45 h onwards, start of the race is at 14.00 h.