Practice: Aiello leads the way for Audi

Not that Laurent Aiello topping the times was any great shock. The Frenchman has been consistently the quickest of the Abt Sportsline squad this year, and his Audi TT-R was expected to set the pace around the Dutch track thanks to its copious levels of downforce and excellent mechanical grip.

"My goal for the round in Zandvoort is quite clear," said Aiello. "I want second place in the points, in order to have the best possible position before the final round in Hockenheim."

He lapped in 1m37.760s, outpacing Audi team mates Mattias Ekstrom and Martin Tomczyk by just over a tenth of a second.

Now the surprises began: Manuel Reuter was a superb fourth fastest for Opel, backed up by marque colleague Alain Menu in sixth. The man they sandwiched was none other than recently crowned champion Bernd Schneider, who was a lowly (for him) fifth.

The Opels were expected to struggle with the low grip surface at Zandvoort, which is further compromised by sand that gets blown on to the circuit. Not so, it seems. Menu did a stellar job as brake problems, which have haunted him all season, returned yesterday to ruin his running.

Christian Abt was the slowest of the Audis in seventh, but the second fastest Mercedes was that of Darren Turner. The former BRDC McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year was eight-tenths off the pace, but still headed Marcel Fassler and Peter Dumbreck to upset the Three Pointed Star's pecking order.

Can the chirpy Englishman keep up his new-found pace? Will Schneider be in the hunt for pole? Find out on Autosport.com when qualifying begins at 13.05 local time (12.05 BST).



Laurent Aiello, 2001 Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R, 1m37.760s
Mattias Ekstrom, 2001 Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R, 1m37.893s
Martin Tomczyk, 2001 Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R, 1m37.897s
Manuel Reuter, 2001 Phoenix Opel Astra Coupe, 1m38.084s
Bernd Schneider, 2001 D2 Mercedes CLK, 1m38.103s
Alain Menu, 2001 Euroteam Opel Astra Coupe, 1m38.254s
Christian Abt, 2001 Abt Sportsline Audi TT-R, 1m38.305s
Darren Turner, 2000 Rosberg Mercedes CLK, 1m38.591s
Marcel Fassler, 2001 Warsteiner Mercedes CLK, 1m38.672s
Peter Dumbreck, 2001 D2 Mercedes CLK, 1m38.810s
Uwe Alzen, 2001 Warsteiner Mercedes CLK, 1m39.019s
Timo Scheider, 2001 Holzer Opel Astra Coupe, 1m39.021s
Bernd Maylander, 2001 Eschmann-Manthey Mercedes CLK, 1m39.163s
David Saelens, 2000 Rosberg Mercedes CLK, 1m39.181s
Christijan Albers, 2000 Persson Mercedes CLK, 1m39.187s
Thomas Jager, 2000 Persson Mercedes CLK, 1m39.422s
Michael Bartels, 2001 Holzer Opel Astra Coupe, 1m39.470s
Patrick Huisman, 2001 Eschmann-Manthey Mercedes CLK, 1m39.545s
Hubert Haupt, 2000 Euroteam Opel Astra Coupe, 1m39.869s
Joachim Winkelhock, 2001 Holzer Opel Astra Coupe, 1m40.003s
Yves Olivier, 2000 Phoenix Opel Astra Coupe, 1m40.850s
Peter Mamerow, 2000 Mamerow Opel Astra Coupe, 1m42.891s