Qualifying, race 1: Diefenbacher's double

The German lapped his Bertram Schafer Racing Dallara-Opel in 1m35.707s, seven hundredths clear of Mucke Motorsport's Markus Winkelhock (Dallara-Opel), with the latter's team mate Stefan Mucke right behind in third.

Series leader Toshihiro Kaneishi will start today's race from fourth, while the second placed driver in the series, Pierre Kaffer, was only ninth fastest in his Team Kolles Dallara-Mugen.

Britain's Gary Paffett will start Saturday's race from seventh in his Team Rosberg Dallara-Opel - just like yesterday's session he was six-tenths off pole but three places higher on the grid. Toyota's Australian protégé Ryan Briscoe, who made his F3 debut at the Marlboro Masters, will start tenth on his German series debut in a Prema-run Dallara-Opel.

Round 13 of the championship starts at 16.15 local time (15.15GMT) today.

Frank Diefenbacher, Bert Schafer Racing Dallara-Opel, 1m35.707s
Markus Winkelhock, Mucke Motorsport Dallara-Opel, 1m35.773s
Stefan Mucke, Mucke Motorsport Dallara-Opel, 1m35.834s
Toshihiro Kaneishi, Bert Schafer Racing Dallara-Opel, 1m35.907s
Nicolas Kiesa, GM Motorsport Dallara-Toyota, 1m35.967s
Bjorn Wirdheim, Prema PowerTeam Dallara-Opel, 1m36.033s