DTM Norisring: Mortara takes pole for race one by 0.001s
Mercedes driver Edoardo Mortara narrowly sealed pole position for the DTM's Norisring opener after a qualifying session interrupted by a red flag caused by defending champion Rene Rast crashing out
Mortara deposed long-time provisional polesitter Phillip Eng by just 0.001s in the final flying lap of his second run, pulling into the pits with 90 seconds to go.
While Mortara waited to see if he had secured pole, Eng's response provided a personal best middle sector on his last lap but it wasn't enough.
Those times came in a flurry of late improvements after Rast's Audi got loose exiting the Scholler S and spun into the concrete wall of Turn 3.
With debris on the track, the session was delayed for around five minutes.
Two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann was third in a much improved qualifying performance compared to last time out in Hungary.
That put him ahead of title protagonist and Mercedes driver Gary Paffett in fourth.
Paul di Resta regularly featured as a pole threat in the first stages of qualifying but dropped to fifth ahead of Dani Juncadella and Lucas Auer.
DTM points leader Timo Glock qualified in eighth ahead of Bruno Spengler.
Nico Muller was consistently the quickest Audi driver throughout the session and qualified in 10th, with Jamie Green in 13th and the other four Audis locking out the bottom positions.
Former Sauber Formula 1 driver Pascal Wehrlein slotted between the Audis of Green and Loic Duval in 14th.
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