Qualifying: Aiello nabs pole from Menu
Laurent Aiello will start the qualification race for the fourth round of the DTM from pole position at Sachsenring on Sunday. The series leading Abt-Audi ace beat Opel's Alain Menu by 0.019s with just over 60secs of the session remaining
Menu held pole for much of the session, but with 1m17s remaining on the clock, Aiello banged in a lightning-quick 1m19.411s. The Swiss attempted to retaliate, but pushed too hard and almost went off the track at the ultra-fast left-hander behind the pits.
"It's a shame the session wasn't 43 minutes long, and not 45," Menu quipped. "I went for it, pushing really hard, but I almost went off in fifth gear."
Aiello was delighted with his pole position: "I'm sorry for Alain, but happy for myself and the team. I was quite surprised that my lap was quicker, but I found a few hundredths in the final section of the track."
Bernd Schneider was by far the quickest of the Mercedes drivers in third, 0.342s in arrears, and said: "I got the maximum out of the car."
Menu's Opel Euroteam team-mate Yves Olivier was a best-ever fourth, ahead of the Audis of Karl Wendlinger and Martin Tomczyk. Opel's Joachim Winkelhock showed no after effects from his big Donington crash and will start seventh, ahead of Christian Abt (Audi).
Britain's Peter Dumbreck was 14th fastest, but was the third quickest Mercedes in the field. Donington winner Jean Alesi could only manage the 16th quickest time. Mercs fill the last eight places on the grid.
Laurent Aiello (F) Abt-Audi TT-R 1m19.411s
Alain Menu (CH) Euroteam Opel Astra V8 Coupé 1m19.430s
Bernd Schneider (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m19.753s
Yves Olivier (B) Eutoteam Opel Astra V8 Coupé 1m19.825s
Karl Wendlinger (A) Abt-Audi TT-R 1m19.885s
Martin Tomczyk (D) Abt-Audi TT-R 1m19.945s
Joachim Winkelhock (D) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupé 1m19.966s
Christian Abt (F) Abt-Audi TT-R 1m19.988s
Mattias Ekström (S) Abt-Audi TT-R 1m20.072s
Timo Scheider (D) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé 1m20.117s
Marcel Fässler (CH) AMG Mercedes-Bend CLK 1m20.208s
Manuel Reuter (D) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupe 1m20.245s
Michael Bartels (D) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé 1m20.282s
Peter Dumbreck (GB) Persson Mercedes-Benz CLK 1m20.320s
Uwe Alzen (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK 1m20.364s
Jean Alesi (F) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK 1m20.512s
Christijan Albers (NL) Rosberg Mercedes-Benz CLK 1m20.622s
Thomas Jäger (D) Persson Mercedes-Benz CLK 1m20.794s
Patrick Huisman (NL) Manthey Mercedes-Benz CLK 1m20.986s
Bernd Maylander (D) Manthey Mercedes-Benz CLK 1m21.141s
Stefan Mücke (D) Rosberg Mercedes-Benz CLK 1m21.872s
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