Warm-up: Aiello back on top
As the reigning DTM champion, Abt-Audi's Laurent Aiello hasn't had much to cheer this season. But at least he topped the warm-up times ahead of today's seventh round of the series at the Nurburgring and will start from the front row
Aiello lapped the Sprint course version of the European GP venue in 1m25.432s, a tenth ahead of Opel's Peter Dumbreck. Making it three marques in the top three positions was Bernd Schneider, although his Mercedes clashed with the Audi of Karl Wendlinger early in the session.
Also hitting a few problems in the half-hour session was Schneider's chief title rival, Christijan Albers, whose Merc CLK's nose acted like a snowplough when a pitstop went wrong and he pushed one of the wheels that had been taken off his car along the pit lane. Fortunately, the rogue wheel soon bounced its way harmlessly out of the way. Albers finished the session fourth, a tenth behind Schneider.
Just a single thousandth behind Albers was today's pole man, Mattias Ekstrom. Marcel Fassler (Mercedes), Christian Abt (Audi), Donington winner Jean Alesi (Mercedes), Alain Menu (Opel) and Martin Tomczyk completed the top 10.
OPC Euroteam Opel drivers Jeroen Bleekemolen and Joachim Winkelhock both spun during the session.
Laurent Aiello (F) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m25.261s
Peter Dumbreck (GB) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m25.524s
Bernd Schneider (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m25.031s
Christijan Albers (NL) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m25.529s
Mattias Ekstrom (S) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m25.044s
Marcel Fässler (CH) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m25.663s
Christian Abt (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m25.099s
Jean Alesi (F) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m25.575s
Alain Menu (CH) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m25.498s
Martin Tomczyk (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m25.099s
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