Friday testing: Ekstrom leads Audis
Audi leapt to the fore in testing on the eve of the DTM season-opener at Hockenheim, as young Swede Mattias Ekstrom topped the times in his Red Bull-backed Abt Sportsline TT-R ahead of last year's double race winner Laurent Aiello in a Hasseroder-liveried car
Defending champions Mercedes were in the ballpark, however, with former F1 star Jean Alesi leading the way in the AMG squad. He was third quickest, three-tenths off the fastest time.
Christian Abt was fourth quickest in the third of the Audis, and he was backed up by the fourth Abt Sportsline car of Karl Wendlinger in seventh. Reigning champion Bernd Schneider was fifth quickest, leading AMG Mercedes team-mates Marcel Fassler and Uwe Alzen, who were sixth and eighth respectively.
Opel's recent optimism was quashed a little, however, as its leading driver Joachim Winkelhock was only ninth fastest, ahead of the other Astras of Phoenix team-mate Manuel Reuter, Timo Scheider (Holzer) and Alain Menu (Euroteam).
Britain's Peter Dumbreck, a race winner last year with the AMG Merc squad, was only 19th fastest in his year-old Persson-run CLK.
The afternoon session was held in wet conditions and Aiello once again led the way for Audi, ahead of the Opel of Reuter. Abt was third fastest from Schneider, Fassler and Alzen.
Qualifying at Hockenheim begins tomorrow (Saturday) at 13.05 local time (12.05 BST) after a further hour of free practice in the morning. Heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the region...
Mattias Ekström (S) Abt-Audi TT-R, 58.108s
Laurent Aiello (F) Abt-Audi TT-R, 58.140s
Jean Alesi (F) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 58.421s
Christian Abt (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 58.508s
Bernd Schneider (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 58.523s
Marcel Fässler (CH) AMG Mercedes-Bend CLK, 58.558s
Karl Wendlinger (A) Abt-Audi TT-R, 58.590s
Uwe Alzen (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 58.591s
Joachim Winkelhock (D) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 58.626s
Manuel Reuter (D) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupe, 58.731s
Timo Scheider (D) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 58.875s
Alain Menu (CH) Euroteam Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 58.959s
Stefan Mücke (D) Rosberg Mercedes-Benz CLK, 59.023s
Thomas Jäger (D) Persson Mercedes-Benz CLK, 59.059s
Marcel Tiemann (D) Manthey Mercedes-Benz CLK, 59.140s
Martin Tomczyk (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 59.158s
Patrick Huisman (NL) Manthey Mercedes-Benz CLK, 59.298s
Michael Bartels (D) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 59.393s
Peter Dumbreck (GB) Persson Mercedes-Benz CLK, 59.423s
Christijan Albers (NL) Rosberg Mercedes-Benz CLK, 59.442s
Yves Olivier (B) Eutoteam Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 59.556s
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