Warm-up: Audi, Audi, Audi, rain...
Audis are pretty good in the wet too... A streaming (and extremely cold) morning warm-up for Zolder's DTM races saw all five of the stubby Abt-built TT-Rs in the top seven, with points-leader Laurent Aiello heading a one-two-three at the top of the sodden timesheets
Heavy overnight rain refused to move away from the Belgian track and conditions were treacherous. In fact, Aiello's 1m43.236s lap was a full 15 seconds off the pole time set in dryish conditions on Saturday. The Frenchman was backed up by today's pole-sitter Martin Tomczyk and Swede Mattias Ekstrom.
Top non-Audi was rainmeister Bernd Schneider's AMG Mercedes CLK, but the reigning champion lapped almost nine tenths off Aiello's benchmark time.
Opel's best time was set by Holzer driver Timo Scheider, who tip-toed around in 1m44.751s as standing water and continuing precipitation refused to impart any semblance of a dry line.
Some good news for Opel came in the form of Jo Winkelhock's repaired Astra V8 Coupe. The former BTCC champ had rolled his car in Saturday's untimed session, but a monster rebuild by his Phoenix team means Smokin' Jo will start 21st and last in what will undoubtedly be a wet 8-lap sprint race at 13:30 local time (12:30 BST).
Laurent Aiello (F) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m43.236s
Martin Tomczyk (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m43.397s
Mattias Ekström (S) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m43.970s
Bernd Schneider (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m44.115s
Karl Wendlinger (A) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m44.418s
Uwe Alzen (D) AMG Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m44.434s
Christian Abt (D) Abt-Audi TT-R, 1m44.751s
Timo Scheider (D) Holzer Opel Astra V8 Coupé, 1m44.751s
Christijan Albers (NL) Rosberg Mercedes-Benz CLK, 1m45.028s
Manuel Reuter (D) Phoenix Opel Astra V8 Coupe, 1m45.598s
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