Hockenheim DTM: Gary Paffett takes first pole in three years
Mercedes driver Gary Paffett will start the DTM season finale at Hockenheim at the front of the grid, after claiming his first pole position in more than three years
The 2005 champion was 23rd on the timesheets at the death, but vaulted to the top with a lap of 1m32.645s moments before the chequered flag flew.
It was good enough to secure pole for the first time since the Norisring round in June 2012.
He'll be joined on the front row by countryman Jamie Green, the Audi driver improving after the chequered flag but falling just 0.038 seconds short of Paffett's benchmark.
Green spent time at the top earlier in a 20-minute session dominated by Audi.
The brand finished with six of the top eight drivers, with Mattias Ekstrom and Miguel Molina - who was the first driver to break the 1m33s barrier - third and fourth.
Adrien Tambay qualified a season-best sixth, ahead of Nico Muller and Saturday victor Timo Scheider.
Maxime Martin was fifth for BMW, while Maximilian Gotz and Augusto Farfus complete the top 10, which is covered by 0.331s.
After becoming the youngest-ever DTM champion on Saturday, Mercedes driver Pascal Wehrlein saved his worst qualifying result of the year for the final race and will start 17th.
QUALIFYING TIMES:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gary Paffett | ART | Mercedes | 1m32.645s | - |
| 2 | Jamie Green | Rosberg | Audi | 1m32.683s | 0.038s |
| 3 | Mattias Ekstrom | Abt | Audi | 1m32.729s | 0.084s |
| 4 | Miguel Molina | Abt | Audi | 1m32.746s | 0.101s |
| 5 | Maxime Martin | RMG | BMW | 1m32.826s | 0.181s |
| 6 | Adrien Tambay | Abt | Audi | 1m32.845s | 0.200s |
| 7 | Nico Muller | Rosberg | Audi | 1m32.861s | 0.216s |
| 8 | Timo Scheider | Phoenix | Audi | 1m32.936s | 0.291s |
| 9 | Maximilian Gotz | Mucke | Mercedes | 1m32.958s | 0.313s |
| 10 | Augusto Farfus | RBM | BMW | 1m32.976s | 0.331s |
| 11 | Paul Di Resta | HWA | Mercedes | 1m32.991s | 0.346s |
| 12 | Tom Blomqvist | RBM | BMW | 1m33.056s | 0.411s |
| 13 | Edoardo Mortara | Abt | Audi | 1m33.064s | 0.419s |
| 14 | Mike Rockenfeller | Phoenix | Audi | 1m33.093s | 0.448s |
| 15 | Bruno Spengler | MTEK | BMW | 1m33.096s | 0.451s |
| 16 | Marco Wittmann | RMG | BMW | 1m33.098s | 0.453s |
| 17 | Pascal Wehrlein | HWA | Mercedes | 1m33.120s | 0.475s |
| 18 | Daniel Juncadella | Mucke | Mercedes | 1m33.163s | 0.518s |
| 19 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Schnitzer | BMW | 1m33.223s | 0.578s |
| 20 | Robert Wickens | HWA | Mercedes | 1m33.255s | 0.610s |
| 21 | Timo Glock | MTEK | BMW | 1m33.481s | 0.836s |
| 22 | Lucas Auer | ART | Mercedes | 1m33.549s | 0.904s |
| 23 | Martin Tomczyk | Schnitzer | BMW | 1m33.639s | 0.994s |
| 24 | Christian Vietoris | HWA | Mercedes | 1m33.801s | 1.156s |
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