Schneider and Alzen top Hockenheim tests

All three DTM manufacturers - Audi, Mercedes and Opel - were present, although Merc topped the new machinery league with three 2001-specification cars, Opel with two and the Audi-equipped Abt Sportsline team settled for last year's car fitted with its new, and much improved, aerodynamic kit.

Schneider lapped in 2m07.98s on Tuesday in his D2 AMG Mercedes, well ahead of the D2 spare car, driven by Marcel Fassler. Uwe Alzen took over from Fassler on Wednesday to record the quickest time in wet conditions on 2m24.07s, a tenth ahead of the Holzer-run Opel of Joachim Winkelhock.

"The good performance of Joachim in wet and rainy conditions shows that we are going in the right direction," commented Opel's team boss Volker Strycek.

Darren Turner was third quickest on Wednesday and was pleased with the way the test went.

"Pedro [Lamy, his team mate at Rosberg] was half a second quicker on Tuesday than he was in qualifying here [last October], and I was right up there in the rain on Wednesday," said Turner. "I spent the first 20 laps solving a brake problem, but then it all came together. I had quite a bit of oversteer in the stadium section, but still managed a good time. I learnt a lot last year and I feel there's a new spirit within this team."

The Englishman, who is expected to test more regularly this year for the McLaren Formula 1 squad as well as race in the DTM, thinks his 2000-spec machinery is still up to the job in hand this season.

"I don't think there's going to be too much difference in it to start with," he added. "I'm sure the 2001 cars will get quicker as the season progresses, but our car is well developed, so we should be all right at the start of the year."

Abt Sportsline's Christian Abt was one of many to go off in the tricky conditions, wrecking the bodywork of the TT-R which curtailed his team's testing early on Tuesday. Abt drove the repaired machine again on Wednesday before handing over to new signing Mattias Ekstrom, who suffered brake problems later in the session.

Abt's 2001 cars, which feature a longer wheelbase, are still under construction at its Kempten workshops.