Mattias Ekstrom set the pace in the opening free practice session for this weekend’s DTM race at the Norisring.
The Abt Audi driver’s 49.893-second lap came in the first half of the 90-minute session and was 0.165s clear of the chasing field – a massive margin by the standards of this year’s DTM and at one of its shortest circuits too.
Ralf Schumacher, the polesitter here two years ago, was surprisingly his closest challenger. The HWA Mercedes driver had the fastest lap in the second half of the session, but with the times set in the first half generally being quicker across the board, 50.058s was the best he could achieve overall.
Bruno Spengler made it three different manufacturers in the top three places in his Schnitzer BMW while championship leader Gary Paffett was fourth for HWA.
Dirk Werner put a second Schnitzer cars inside the top five as Ekstrom’s team-mate Timo Scheider completed the top six.
Miguel Molina was seventh quickest in his Phoenix Audi, but caused the session’s only red flag – and a lengthy delay – when he whacked the wall on the exit of the Scholler S and stopped on-track with the resultant damage to his car.
Jamie Green, who was visibly the most committed driver on entry to the final corner, was eighth for HWA with champion Martin Tomcyk (RMG BMW) and Christian Vietoris (HWA Mercedes) completing the top 10.
Less than 0.7s covered the field while the margin between second-placed Schumacher and David Coulthard in 14th was less than 0.2s.
Mike Hailwood Mika Häkkinen Bruce Halford Jim Hall Duncan Hamilton
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