Photo: DTM Media

Timo Glock takes pole as BMW continues to dominate

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BMW Motorsport have continued their domination at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, host of the seventh round of the 2015 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season, this weekend. The Bavarian manufacturer took the first five positions of the starting grid for Race1, with Timo Glock on pole position.

The qualifying session took place with almost no breathing time for the teams and drivers, as there were less than 15 minutes between the end of the shortened second free practice session and the start of the qualifying.

Mattias Ekström joined the track after a few minutes into the session, as the Team Abt Sportsline mechanics had to rush to repair the Swede’s RS 5 DTM after an off track excursion this morning. After a troubled first run, Ekström had to return to the pits, and wouldn’t be able to go out again.

Timo Glock set the fastest time half way through the session, stopping the clock at 1:19.821, the best lap of the weekend so far. Fellow BMW driver Augusto Farfus tried to get close, but could only manage second, 0.056 seconds behind his team-mate. Tom Blomqvist was third for the Bavarian manufacturer, 0.072 seconds off the pace.

Antóno Félix Da Costa and Bruno Spengler followed for BMW, with Mercedes’ Pascal Wehrlein in sixth position, being the only driver from the Stuttgart squad to get in the top ten.

Reigning champion Marco Wittmann was seventh in his M4 DTM, 0.171 seconds off the pace, followed by team-mate Martin Tomczyk.

Audi Sport’s Miguel Molina was ninth, 0.198 seconds behind Glock. The Spaniard spun off the track on his final run, parking his RS 5 DTM on the grass. Fellow Audi Edoardo Mortara closed the top ten.

Championship leader Mattias Ekström was 24th and last, despite being 0.989 seconds off the pole position with only one flying lap completed.

Augusto Farfus, starting from the fron row, was upbeat at the end of the session: “We have been competitive for the entire weekend, our package seems to be going well here. I’m looking forward to the race, hoping to have a good start.”

Race 1 is scheduled for 14:45 CEST (GMT + 2) and will run for 40 minutes plus one lap.