DTM Hockenheim: Glock takes pole ahead of reigning champion Rast
Timo Glock snatched pole position for the final DTM race at Hockenheim aboard his BMW, narrowly beating the impressive Audi driver Rene Rast
Audi continued to struggle at Hockenheim, which it has put down to a combination of oversteer and the loss of downforce caused by the new rule packages.
That made Rast's lap of 1m32.587s in the first flying runs all the more impressive, with Mercedes' Dani Juncadella almost three tenths back in second.
But when the final attempts at pole took place in the remaining minutes, it was Glock who stormed to the top with a lap of 1m32.379s.
The former Formula 1 driver's pole lap was over two-tenths slower than Paffet's benchmark in first qualifying on Saturday.
Rast had to settle for second, one of only two Audis in the top 10, but came under threat from the highly impressive Joel Eriksson.
The 2017 European Formula 3 championship runner-up set his best lap in the final seconds to go third with a time just 0.026s slower than Rast.
Mercedes locked out positions four to sixth, with Edoardo Mortara's late lap enough to depose stablemate Lucas Auer to fifth.
Paul Di Resta also improved late on and took sixth ahead of Juncadella.
BMW's Marco Wittmann was ninth ahead of the second-best Audi of Mike Rockenfeller.
Saturday's race winner Paffett qualified 10th ahead of Pascal Wehrlein.
Audi took four of the bottom five positions with Robin Frijns in 15th ahead of Nico Muller, having taken a trip through the gravel in the third practice session.
Jamie Green was second in the previous session but could only secure 17th in another difficult qualifying session.
Mattias Ekstrom qualified 19th and last for his final DTM race this afternoon after he was unable to start the second flying run due to a problem fitting tyres to the right-hand side of his Audi.
DTM Hockenheim: Struggles in opener proving aero fears, say Audi
DTM Hockenheim: Glock wins race two after scrap with Paffett
The longest-serving Red Bull driver revealing F1’s true brutality
His day of days in Formula 1 came at Indianapolis in 2005, a day grand prix racing strives to forget. But Patrick Friesacher, the long-serving Red Bull lieutenant, remains active today driving a two-seater that provides ordinary people with a glimpse of an F1 car’s savage potential, including this writer...
How the DTM has come back stronger from its Norisring nadir
OPINION: Questionable driving standards and farcical team orders meant the DTM's first season under GT3 regulations ended under a cloud. But the organisation has responded firmly by banning team orders and welcomed new manufacturers, making for an intriguing season ahead as new and returning names prepare for battle
The remarkable career of a 'classy' champion who rejected politics
Over two decades as a factory driver with Audi and BMW, Martin Tomczyk earned the respect of team-mates and rivals as a hard but fair racer. After calling time on his racing career, the 2011 DTM champion sat down with Autosport to look back
The other Hamilton conqueror seeking career revival
On his rise through the ranks before reaching Formula 1, Lewis Hamilton was usually a cut above the rest. But he never truly asserted himself over a Mercedes-backed fellow Briton who traded single-seaters for touring cars and is now seeking new opportunities after a year largely spent on the sidelines
How the DTM's shambolic finale poses awkward future questions
OPINION: The scenes at the Norisring as Mercedes used blatant team orders to secure the first DTM title of the new GT3 era totally undermined the credibility of the championship. But as well as overshadowing the season, it also presents uncomfortable questions to series bosses about the direction it is headed in
How Audi's new DTM star is channeling Rast to achieve his "childhood dream"
Having learned the ropes in GT3 alongside Rene Rast, Kelvin van der Linde is in line to take up the three-time champion's baton as Audi's new DTM king. From humble origins in South Africa, it's been a remarkable journey so far for the current series leader, but he knows that the 2021 title is a long way from settled just yet
The number-crunching behind the new-look DTM's equalisation drive
Switching to GT3 regulations marked a fresh start for the DTM in 2021, but it has also drawn a line in the sand against other series using similar cars by engaging AVL Racing to develop a bespoke Balance of Performance system. Here’s how it works
The initial verdict on DTM's move to GT3 cars
OPINION: Facing collapse last year, the DTM has shifted its philosophy from a championship for silhouette-based touring cars to GT machines not too dissimilar to those racing across multiple series worldwide. But despite some initial BoP-based teething troubles, there were some pleasant findings as the 'new DTM' got underway at Monza