Audi Sport dominate first free practice of 2016 in Hockenheim
The 2016 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season has now officially started, with the first free practice session taking place this afternoon, with Edoardo Mortara setting the best time for Audi Sport, with the Ingolstadt manufacturer dominating the session.
Mortara set a best lap of 1:34.217 in his RS 5 DTM, followed by fellow Audi driver Jamie Green, 0.490 seconds behind.
Bruno Spengler was the reference man for BMW Motorsport in third place, 0.565 seconds off the pace. He was followed by Audi’s Mattias Ekström, who is on a double programme this weekend competing in the World Rallycross Championship. The Swede was 0.631 seconds behind Edoardo Mortara. Audi Team Abt driver Nico Müller was next, just 0.002 seconds off Ekström’s register.
Augusto Farfus followed for BMW, with the Brazilian having caused a slow zone earlier in the session due to an off track excursion without consequences.
Newly promoted HWA driver Daniel Juncadella was the fastest man for Mercedes AMG, in the first competitive session for the new C63 DTM. The Spaniard was seventh, 0.733 seconds off Mortara’s time.
BMW’s Tom Blomqvist, Audi’s Timo Scheider and Mercedes’ Paul Di Resta completed the top ten, with the 2010 champion 0.903 seconds behind the best time.
The session was largely trouble free, with Robert Wickens being the only other driver to have an incident, braking late and going on the outside of the Mercedes Curve.
The DTM resumes the on-track activity tomorrow morning at 11:20 CEST for the second free practice session.
