Robin Frijns tops opening practice at Zolder

Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Robin Frijns emerged as the fastest driver in the opening DTM practice session at Zolder.

The Dutchman set a best time of 1:20.075 to end the 45-minute session just over three-tenths of a second quicker than Team Rosberg’s René Rast.

Points leader and Frijn’s team-mate Nico Müller was fourth quickest in his Audi.

Overnight rain meant that the track was damp at the beginning of the 45-minute session, with the bulk of the field resisting the urge to try and set quick early runs.

The track was drying throughout the session, with Frijns setting the initial benchmark of 1:22.332, some 1.574s quicker than the Team RBM BMW of Sheldon van der Linde as the latter got up to speed.

Frijns soon lowered this effort to a 1:20.075 as the qualifying simulations occupied the middle segment of the session.

The Dutchman was a full three-tenths faster than René Rast’s Abt Sportsline Audi.

Behind Rast came another Audi in the form of Team Phoenix’s Mike Rockenfeller, some four-tenths further back, while Müller sandwiched him and Team Rosberg’s Jamie Green.

Ferdinand Habsburg was sixth fastest in his WRT Audi, ahead of Loïc Duval.

The best of the BMWs was Timo Glock in eighth, albeit nearly a second off the pace of Frijns.

Harrison Newey was ninth, while Marco Wittman was the next best BMW completing the top 10.

The second practice session at Zolder is scheduled to take place at 15:30 CET.