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Sat practice: Audis still rule roost

The Abt-Audi squad maintained its grip on the Nurburgring DTM timesheets by posting the top two times in Saturday morning's final free practice session. Mattias Ekstrom set the fastest time of the weekend so far, stopping the clocks at 1m25.097s, with his team-mate and reigning DTM champion Laurent Aiello two tenths behind

Mercedes' Donington Park victor Jean Alesi was third fastest in the sunny and breezy conditions, nearly three tenths off Ekstrom, with Peter Dumbreck, in his customary position as top Opel, in fourth.

Championship leader Bernd Schneider was sixth fastest in his AMG Mercedes, two spots ahead of his team-mate Christijan Albers, who trails him by just three points in the DTM standings.

A 45-minute timed session at 1305 CET (1205 BST) will determine the 10 drivers who take part in tonight's floodlit Super-Pole, a first for the DTM.

Right Said Fred, scheduled to headline a pre-race concert on Sunday, have withdrawn. The bald-headed Brit brothers are still a major draw in Germany and DTM fans are shocked and saddened by the pull-out (it says here...), but German band No Angels have stepped in to fill the gaping chasm left by the Fredsters' no-show.

Right Said Fred uber-fan Peter Dumbreck said: "It's a crying shame. I was looking forward to swinging my pants along to 'Don't Talk, Just Kiss' and other much-loved classics, like 'You're My Mate. Sigh..."


Mattias Ekstrom (S) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m25.097s
Laurent Aiello (F) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m25.311s
Jean Alesi (F) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m25.363s
Peter Dumbreck (GB) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m25.414s
Martin Tomczyk (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m25.426s
Bernd Schneider (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m25.761s
Alain Menu (CH) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m25.802s
Christijan Albers (NL) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m25.815s
Christian Abt (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m25.895s
Marcel Fässler (CH) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m26.012s

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