Hockenheim DTM: Timo Scheider takes pole for Audi

The two-time champion had gone second-fastest in the third part of qualifying in his Abt Sportsline Audi RS5, and so was the third driver to set his time in the single-lap Q4.

His 1m35.918s lap knocked Augusto Farfus off the top spot with just Christian Vietoris left to complete his lap.

But HWA Mercedes driver Vietoris dropped time in the opening sector of the lap and wound up third quickest.

Scheider's 11th career pole came by 0.116 seconds from Farfus's RBM BMW.

Robert Wickens was a career-best fourth in the second of the HWA cars. His Q4 time was disallowed for exceeding track limits, but it made no difference to his grid position.

Vietoris had topped a sensational Q3 that featured an ever-changing order at the top of the timesheets, largely due to all 10 drivers switching from wet tyres to slicks within the opening minutes.

With track conditions improving dramatically and times falling by over five seconds by the end of the session, the name on top of the timesheets changed six times in the final minute alone.

The impressive Pascal Wehrlein put his RSC Mucke Mercedes fastest, but had already been knocked back to fifth - and first of the drivers not to make Q4 - by the time he had got halfway round the next lap.

He will start eighth on his DTM debut, behind former title winners Mattias Ekstrom and Gary Paffett and reigning champion Bruno Spengler.

RBM BMW man Joey Hand and rookie Daniel Juncadella (RSC Mucke) impressively completed the top 10.

Former champion Martin Tomczyk and new Audi recruit Jamie Green were among the big names knocked out in Q2, a late flyer from Juncadella eliminating both in a similar manner to the way in which he put Andy Priaulx out at the end of the previous session.

Formula 1 refugee Timo Glock was also eliminated in Q2, the MTEK BMW driver securing 15th spot on the grid for his DTM debut.

Roberto Merhi crashed entering the stadium in the opening minutes of qualifying and was one of the six drivers that failed to make Q2.

Debutant Marco Wittmann was another, his MTEK BMW grinding to a halt at the entrance to the Mercedes Arena.

PPos  Driver              Team/Car        Time       Gap
 1.  Timo Scheider       Abt Audi        1m35.918s
 2.  Augusto Farfus      RBM BMW         1m36.034s  + 0.116s
 3.  Christian Vietoris  HWA Mercedes    1m36.194s  + 0.276s
 4.  Robert Wickens      HWA Mercedes
 5.  Mattias Ekstrom     Abt Audi        1m40.005s  Q3
 6.  Gary Paffett        HWA Mercedes    1m40.496s  Q3
 7.  Bruno Spengler      Schnitzer BMW   1m41.184s  Q3
 8.  Pascal Wehrlein     Mucke Mercedes  1m41.337s  Q3
 9.  Joey Hand           RBM BMW         1m41.637s  Q3
10.  Daniel Juncadella   Mucke Mercedes  1m43.775s  Q3
11.  Martin Tomczyk      RMG BMW         1m48.947s  Q2
12.  Jamie Green         Abt Audi        1m49.129s  Q2
13.  Adrien Tambay       Abt Audi        1m49.136s  Q2
14.  Mike Rockenfeller   Phoenix Audi    1m49.366s  Q2
15.  Timo Glock          MTEK BMW        1m49.842s  Q2
16.  Filipe Albuquerque  Rosberg Audi    1m50.296s  Q2
17.  Andy Priaulx        RMG BMW         1m50.190s  Q1
18.  Miguel Molina       Phoenix Audi    1m50.399s  Q1
19.  Edoardo Mortara     Rosberg Audi    1m50.416s  Q1
20.  Roberto Merhi       HWA Mercedes    1m50.810s  Q1
21.  Marco Wittmann      MTEK BMW        1m50.871s  Q1
22.  Dirk Werner         Schnitzer BMW   1m50.926s  Q1