Free Practice: Opel hits top form
Opel rocketed to the top of the testing times for this weekend's second round of the DTM at Zolder in Belgium, with Alain Menu setting the pace by a tenth of a second from Abt-Audi's Mattias Ekstrom
Menu lapped the track, which returns to the DTM calendar this weekend for the first time since 1994, in 1m28.316s in his Euroteam-run Opel Astra.
"Finally, we are there, where we belong with the new Astra Coupe," said Menu. "There are a few areas in which we can still improve our car, but generally, I am very happy with today's performance."
Behind Ekstrom, Timo Scheider was third quickest in his Holzer-tended Opel, over two-tenths off Menu's time.
Audi's Christian Abt was fourth fastest, ahead of his team-mate, Hockenheim winner Laurent Aiello. The top Mercedes-Benz was that of Dutch ace Patrick Huisman - who qualified last on the grid at Hockenheim after a mix-up over his set-up. He was sixth fastest in his year-old, Manthey-run Mercedes CLK.
"We worked on the set-up for qualifying and then I went out on a fast lap, and that worked out really well," said Huisman.
Hockenheim qualification race winner Martin Tomczyk (Audi) was seventh fastest, ahead of Joachim Winkelhock (Opel), Manuel Reuter (Opel) and local hero Yves Olivier (Opel).
Retired F1 hero Jean Alesi was the second fastest Mercedes in 11th, while reigning champion Bernd Schneider languished in 14th, a whopping 1.3secs off Menu's pace.
DTM returnee Bernd Maylander was 19th in his Manthey Mercedes, while Scotland's Peter Dumbreck brought up the rear in both sessions.
Alain Menu (CH) Euroteam Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m28.316s
Mattias Ekström (S) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m28.491s
Timo Scheider (D) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m28.593s
Christian Abt (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m28.893s
Laurent Aiello (F) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m28.945s
Patrick Huisman (NL) Manthey Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m29.298s
Martin Tomczyk (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m29.389s
Joachim Winkelhock (D) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m29.411s
Manuel Reuter (D) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupe, 1m29.431s
Yves Olivier (B) Eutoteam Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m29.599s
Jean Alesi (F) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m29.644s
Thomas Jäger (D) Persson Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m29.662s
Uwe Alzen (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m29.670s
Bernd Schneider (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m29.694s
Karl Wendlinger (A) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m29.717s
Christijan Albers (NL) Rosberg Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m29.876s
Marcel Fässler (CH) AMG Mercedes-Bend CLK, 1m29.916s
Stefan Mücke (D) Rosberg Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m29.947s
Bernd Maylander (D) Manthey Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m29.988s
Michael Bartels (D) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m30.261s
Peter Dumbreck (GB) Persson Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m30.345s
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