Moscow DTM: Audi's Mike Rockenfeller on pole in Sunday qualifying
Audi's Mike Rockenfeller secured his second pole position of the DTM season at Moscow Raceway, in a session where less than one tenth covered the top six
Rockenfeller was third behind Mattias Ekstrom and Marco Wittmann when the second round of runs commenced, but jumped to the top with a time of 1m28.540s.
Ekstrom couldn't improve in the closing minutes, despite going fastest of all in the middle sector, and finished the session just 0.038 seconds shy of his stablemate, who is still searching for his first 2015 podium.
The Swede will, though, drop to fifth on the grid as a result of a stewards penalty for his clash with Timo Glock during Saturday's race.
That elevates Bruno Spengler to the front row of the grid, the Canadian and fellow BMW driver Maxime Martin jumping up to third and fourth after the chequered flag.
Jamie Green will line up fourth, ahead of the demoted Ekstrom and Nico Muller, who made it four Audis inside the top six.
Gary Paffett was the lead Mercedes in seventh, just 0.092s slower than Rockenfeller.
Paffett was the brand's only driver inside the top 10, with Saturday victor Pascal Wehrlein 11th, ahead of Daniel Juncadella.
Tom Blomqvist in eighth, despite a lurid mid-session spin exiting Turn 2, Augusto Farfus and Saturday polesitter Wittmann complete the top 10 for BMW.
Formula 3 European Championship leader Antonio Giovinazzi will start his second DTM race from 16th on the grid.
QUALIFYING RESULTS:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Car | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mike Rockenfeller | Phoenix | Audi | 1m28.540s | - |
| 2 | Mattias Ekstrom | Abt | Audi | 1m28.578s | 0.038s |
| 3 | Bruno Spengler | MTEK | BMW | 1m28.580s | 0.040s |
| 4 | Maxime Martin | RMG | BMW | 1m28.587s | 0.047s |
| 5 | Jamie Green | Rosberg | Audi | 1m28.592s | 0.052s |
| 6 | Nico Muller | Rosberg | Audi | 1m28.592s | 0.052s |
| 7 | Gary Paffett | ART | Mercedes | 1m28.632s | 0.092s |
| 8 | Tom Blomqvist | RBM | BMW | 1m28.650s | 0.110s |
| 9 | Augusto Farfus | RBM | BMW | 1m28.658s | 0.118s |
| 10 | Marco Wittmann | RMG | BMW | 1m28.686s | 0.146s |
| 11 | Pascal Wehrlein | HWA | Mercedes | 1m28.739s | 0.199s |
| 12 | Daniel Juncadella | Mucke | Mercedes | 1m28.772s | 0.232s |
| 13 | Edoardo Mortara | Abt | Audi | 1m28.777s | 0.237s |
| 14 | Timo Glock | MTEK | BMW | 1m28.881s | 0.341s |
| 15 | Lucas Auer | ART | Mercedes | 1m28.896s | 0.356s |
| 16 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Phoenix | Audi | 1m28.913s | 0.373s |
| 17 | Robert Wickens | HWA | Mercedes | 1m28.970s | 0.430s |
| 18 | Maximilian Gotz | Mucke | Mercedes | 1m28.978s | 0.438s |
| 19 | Miguel Molina | Abt | Audi | 1m29.050s | 0.510s |
| 20 | Adrien Tambay | Abt | Audi | 1m29.059s | 0.519s |
| 21 | Antonio Felix da Costa | Schnitzer | BMW | 1m29.109s | 0.569s |
| 22 | Paul Di Resta | HWA | Mercedes | 1m29.156s | 0.616s |
| 23 | Christian Vietoris | HWA | Mercedes | 1m29.261s | 0.721s |
| 24 | Martin Tomczyk | Schnitzer | BMW | 1m29.408s | 0.868s |
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