Paul di Resta fastest in difficult wet conditions at the Nürburgring

Mercedes AMG driver Paul di Resta set the fastest lap in the second free practice session at the Nürburgring, finishing ahead of team-mate and yesterday’s pace setter Gary Paffett.

The track was wet from the start, with conditions worsening throughout as the rainfall and poor visibility increased.

Paffett led the initial stages of the session, but was pipped by di Resta halfway through, with the Scot getting ahead by three-tenths.

Timo Glock was third and the fastest for BMW Motorsport, half a second off the pace, followed by Mattias Ekström, the best-placed driver for Audi sport, six tenths adrift.

Fellow Audi driver René Rast was next, with BMW’s Marco Wittmann in sixth, almost eight-tenths off di Resta’s lap time.

Lucas Auer was seventh for Mercedes, followed by BMW’s Augusto Farfus and team-mate Edoardo Mortara, nearly a second off the pace. Maxime Martin completed the top ten for BMW.

Several drivers had trouble; Glock spun at the exit of the chicane near the start of the session; Martin had to take the alternative route at that point after missing his braking point, while Audi’s Loïc Duval went wide at Turn 16, with Rast also going off track at Turn 8.

The Mercedes AMG squad was happy with their progress.

Paffett said: “The conditions are helping us, because our car works very well in the wet. I also enjoy driving the cars in this weather. I hope we can keep it up.

“Today the conditions look difficult, so we can get a good result. Sometimes your driving style suits certain conditions and the way I drive the car works well in the rain.”

Qualifying is next and is scheduled for 11:40 CET.