Lausitzring warm-up: Schneider, then the rest...

Timing was everything in putting a fast lap in, but with Schneider able to come out and go back to the top of the time sheets whenever he pleased, it bodes ill for the rest of the field: heavy rain is forecast to continue for the remainder of the day.

Peter Dumbreck's Persson-run Merc was second quickest, ahead of the Opels of Timo Scheider and Uwe Alzen. Darren Turner took fifth for Team Rosberg, making it two British drivers in the top five.

British fortunes took a further upturn when James Thompson traded top 10 times in his Abt Audi TT-R. The Yorkshireman finished the session 15th, but with team mate Christian Abt taking 11th overall and memories of a strong wet weather showing at the Nurburgring still fresh, the yellow machines could be pushing for their first points of the season come this afternoon. Thompson, however, has the added problem of starting 20th and last after changing an engine before the meeting.

Manuel Reuter, the only Opel driver who can still challenge Schneider and Mercedes for the title, was seventh overall, but spun into the gravel twice during the session.


1 Bernd Schneider, Mercedes, 1m58.041s
2 Peter Dumbreck, Mercedes, 1m59.720s
3 Timo Scheider, Opel, 1m59.780s
4 Uwe Alzen, Opel, 1m59.991s
5 Darren Turner, Mercedes, 2m00.225s
6 Christian Menzel, Opel, 2m00.394s
7 Manuel Reuter, Opel, 2m00.416s
8 Marcel Fassler, Mercedes, 2m00.449s
9 Michael Bartels, Opel, 2m00.622s
10 Stefano Modena, Opel, 2m01.141s
11 Christian Abt, Audi, 2m01.313s

Other selected times
15 James Thompson, Audi, 2m01.940s