Audi's Filipe Albuquerque fastest in first 2012 DTM practice session at Hockenheim
Filipe Albuquerque topped the opening DTM practice session of the year at Hockenheim on Friday afternoon as the championship's new era got underway
The Portuguese driver took his brand-new Team Rosberg Audi A5 to the top of the timesheets in 1m34.508s. While this was 0.5 seconds faster than the best time set in the same session 12 months ago in the old-style A4, it was slower than Bruno Spengler's pole time for the corresponding race.
Audis claimed the top five positions in the order with new Phoenix recruit Mike Rockenfeller just 0.025s off the pace. Albuquerque's team-mate Edoardo Mortara was third with Timo Scheider's Abt car and the Phoenix machine of Miguel Molina next up.
Gary Paffett was the best of the Mercedes drivers in sixth for HWA, one spot ahead of Robert Wickens, who headed the rookie drivers in his Mucke Motorsport C-coupe.
BMW's fastest driver was Briton Andy Priaulx; 10th in his RBM M3, while 2011 champion Martin Tomczyk was two places further back in his RMG-run car. BMWs also occupied the final three places on the timesheets, with RBM's Augusto Farfus ahead of Schnitzer pair Bruno Spengler and Dirk Werner.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap 1. Filipe Albuquerque Rosberg Audi 1m34.508s 2. Mike Rockenfeller Phoenix Audi 1m34.533s + 0.025s 3. Edoardo Mortara Rosberg Audi 1m34.664s + 0.156s 4. Timo Scheider Abt Audi 1m34.669s + 0.161s 5. Miguel Molina Phoenix Audi 1m34.813s + 0.305s 6. Gary Paffett HWA Mercedes 1m34.839s + 0.331s 7. Robert Wickens Mucke Mercedes 1m34.853s + 0.345s 8. David Coulthard Mucke Mercedes 1m35.169s + 0.661s 9. Christian Vietoris HWA Mercedes 1m35.180s + 0.672s 10. Andy Priaulx RBM BMW 1m35.389s + 0.881s 11. Mattias Ekstrom Abt Audi 1m35.448s + 0.940s 12. Martin Tomczyk RMG BMW 1m35.546s + 1.038s 13. Roberto Merhi Persson Mercedes 1m35.581s + 1.073s 14. Joey Hand RMG BMW 1m35.724s + 1.216s 15. Susie Wolff Persson Mercedes 1m35.732s + 1.224s 16. Adrien Tambay Abt Audi 1m35.747s + 1.239s 17. Ralf Schumacher HWA Mercedes 1m35.822s + 1.314s 18. Jamie Green HWA Mercedes 1m35.863s + 1.355s 19. Augusto Farfus RMG BMW 1m36.004s + 1.496s 20. Bruno Spengler Schnitzer BMW 1m36.091s + 1.583s 21. Dirk Werner Schnitzer BMW 1m36.188s + 1.680s 22. Rahel Frey Abt Audi 1m37.213s + 2.705s
Share Or Save This Story
Andy Priaulx set to leave DTM to switch to GT racing in 2014
Marc Marquez sets blistering pace in Valencia MotoGP test
Why the DTM doesn't need Britain anymore
How GM tech accelerated Cadillac's F1 entry
MotoGP chief defends officiating of Catalan GP
The F1 power unit formula solution that could suit all parties
How Aprilia's Barcelona collapse showed the pressures of leading MotoGP's title race
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments