30th October, 2010
Gary Paffett to start from pole position in Italy
DTM
Adria. For the second time this season, Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) will be starting from pole position into a DTM race. In qualifying for the tenth DTM round of the season at the Adria International Raceway, the 29-year old secured himself the best grid position, just ahead of his fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Bruno Spengler - eventually, Spengler was just 0.010 second short of first place on the grid. On Sunday, Mattias Ekström (Audi) and Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz) will be starting from the second row. DTM points’ leader Paul Di Resta (Mercedes-Benz) will be in sixth place on the third row alongside Mike Rockenfeller (Audi, fifth grid position). A full press release with quotes will follow shortly.
Qualifying at a glance
Air temperature: 17.5 °C
Asphalt temperature: 17.6 °C
13.47 hrs Qualifying starts. Markus Winkelhock is the first driver to leave the pit lane.
13.50 hrs Timo Scheider is fastest with 1:11.025, but Bruno Spengler takes over with 1:10.935.
13.51 hrs Mattias Ekström is now on top with 1:10.915.
13.52 hrs Jamie Green takes over first place with 1:10.831.
13.53 hrs Six minutes remaining. Currently, Winkelhock, Cheng, Coulthard and Legge are outside the top 14.
13.56 hrs Cheng from 16th to 13th. Winkelhock from 17th to first, but then Molina sets the fastest time: 1:10.732. Paffett moves up into fifth place.
13.57 hrs Stoddart into sixth place. Di Resta now first: 1:10.338.
13.58 hrs Schumacher improved to eighth.
13.59 hrs End of the session. Ekström, Coulthard, Cheng and Legge aren't qualified for the second heat. Di Resta remains fastest from Scheider, Spengler, Rockenfeller, Paffettt, Molina, Winkelhock, Prémat, Jarvis, Green, Tomczyk, Stoddart, Engel and Schumacher.
14.02 hrs Change from race control: Scheider's time has been disallowed, because he has set it after chequered flag was out already. As a result, he is now 15th, Ekström moves up into 14th and has made it into Q2.
14.05 hrs Start of the next heat. Rockenfeller is the first driver on track.
14.08 hrs Green is on top with 1:10.050, the fastest time set so far during the weekend.
14.09 hrs Molina is second, followed by Paffett, Spengler, Di Resta, Jarvis, Ekström and Tomczyk.
14.13 hrs Green has improved his own best time to 1:09.898, Jarvis moves up into second place with a lap time of 1:10.130, but is then toppled by Paffett with 1:10.120.
14.14 hrs Ekström is now second: 1:09.998.
14.15 hrs End of the session. Tomczyk, Winkelhock, Prémat, Engel, Stoddart and Schumacher aren't qualified for the third heat. Green remains fastest from Ekström, Paffett, Jarvis, Spengler, Molina, Rockenfeller and Di Resta.
14.22 hrs Start of Q3. All drivers still remain in the pits for the time being.
14.23 hrs Jarvis is the first driver to go out.
14.26 hrs Spengler is fastest with 1:10.069.
14.27 hrs Ekström is second with 1:10.149, followed by Green and Paffett.
14.28 hrs End of the session. Rockenfeller, Di Resta, Jarvis and Molina aren't qualified for Q4. Spengler remains fastest from Ekström, Green and Paffett.
14:38 hrs Gary Paffett: 1:10.471.
14:40 hrs Jamie Green: 1:10.700.
14:42 hrs Mattias Ekström: 1:10.560.
14:44 hrs Bruno Spengler: 1:10.481.
