The DTM Series has returned to action at the Lausitzring for the second round of the 2018 season.
Mercedes‘ Pascal Wehrlein was quickest from Audi‘s Mike Rockenfeller and Edoardo Mortara.
Wehrlein ended the session over three tenths of a second quicker than Rockenfeller – which in DTM is a huge margin.
The circuit holds good memories for the 2015 DTM Series Champion as it is the track where he took his first victory in the series back in 2014.
Mercedes were clearly the ones to beat in the session with Dani Juncadella joining Wehrlein and Mortara to make it three Mercedes’ in the top five.
Fifth place belonged to the Audi of Nico Müller as fellow Audi-man Jamie Green ended up just behind him in sixth.
Rookie Philipp Eng took the honour of being the best placed BMW in seventh place.
Mercedes duo Paul di Resta and Lucas Auer were eighth and tenth with the pair both having taken their maiden victories in the series at the Lausitz as well.
The BMW of Marco Wittmann slotted in between the pair. Wittmann will also have very fond memories of the circuit as it was where he sealed his first championship back in 2014.
Gary Paffett was the only Mercedes not to feature in the top ten in eleventh place.
Augusto Farfus and Robin Frijns were twelfth and thirteenth.
Series leader Timo Glock could only manage fourteenth place.
Behind Glock came the second BMW rookie of Joel Eriksson in fifteenth.
Reigning champion René Rast still seems to be struggling getting to grips with new car and could only manage sixteenth place.
The main strength of the Audi last season was its aerodynamic package and seems worst hit from the new regulations.
Canadian Bruno Spengler was seventeenth from Loïc Duval who was nearly two seconds off of Wehrlein’s leading pace in eighteenth.
Second free practice starts at 9.15 local time tomorrow ahead of qualifying at 11.10 before the first race of the weekend gets underway at 13.30.
2018 DTM Series Results: Lausitzring – Free Practice 1
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