Photo: DTM Media

Spengler also fastest in warm-up

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The 20 DTM drivers completed warm-up in bright sunshine at the Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg on Sunday morning, the final test session before the race starts this afternoon at 14.07 h. Once again, Bruno Spengler set the fastest time, the same driver who had also secured himself the first pole position of the season the day before. With his new AMG Mercedes C-Class, the Franco-Canadian lapped the 4.574 kilometres long Grand Prix circuit in 1:34.794 minutes.

Once again, Paul di Resta showed a surprising performance. The Scotsman, who set the fastest time in the second test on Friday and then secured himself third place on the grid confirmed his performance. Driving his 2005-spec AMG Mercedes C-Class in warm-up, he was only 0.028 seconds slower than Spengler. The two Audi drivers Mattias Ekström and Tom Kristensen were also less than one tenth of a second down in the morning session in third and fourth place respectively.

Some ten minutes into the half-hour session on Sunday morning, Alexandros Margaritis had a terrifying moment. Under braking for the hairpin, the suspension of the right front wheel of his AMG Mercedes C-Class broke. The driver slid into the run-off area and the session was over for him. “Unfortunately, this accident caused quite considerable damage. I hope that my team can still get it fixed before the race”, Margaritis said. Mika Häkkinen had some problems getting started: in a trial start at the end of the pit lane, the car of two times’ Formula 1 world champion got stuck, so that the HWA-mechanics had to push the Finn’s C-Class back to the pit box.

Martin Tomczyk, who will be lining-up alongside Bruno Spengler on the front row of the grid for the race, occupied ninth place in warm-up, 0.195 seconds down. The driver from Rosenheim can hardly await the start of the season: “I want to continue at the same level where I have finished last season and I am happy to be the quickest Audi driver starting into the race.”

The ARD is broadcasting live from the Hockenheimring from 13.45 h onwards. The race will start at 14.07 h.