Edoardo Mortara remained on top at the Norisring to take pole position for Race 1.
The Italian jumped to the top of the standings with just over two and a half minutes left of the session to displace Philipp Eng by one thousandth of a second.
It is Mortara’s first pole position with Mercedes and his first since Race 2 at the Hungaroring in 2016.
Eng took provisional pole when there was thirteen minutes remaining on the session and remained there until being leapfrogged by Mortara.
Completing the top three on the grid is home favourite Marco Wittmann who is hoping to step onto the podium at his home race for the first time.
Second placed man in the championship, Gary Paffett heads a Mercedes quartet ahead of Paul di Resta, Dani Juncadella and Lucas Auer.
Championship leader, Timo Glock starts just behind them in his BMW.
The German holds an eleven point advantage over Paffett heading into the race.
Behind Glock, lines up team-mate Bruno Spengler.
The pair had a coming together in practice yesterday and will be keen to avoid a repeat.
Nico Müller is the lone Audi in the top ten, lining up in tenth place for the manufacturer.
Joel Eriksson and Augusto Farfus start eleventh and twelfth for BMW.
Briton Jamie Green, starts down in thirteenth place just ahead of 2015 champion Pascal Wehrlein.
A quartet of Audis round off the grid with Loïc Duval lining up ahead of: Robin Frijns, Mike Rockenfeller and René Rast.
A red flag was brought out, with eleven and a half minutes to go, after Rast made contact with the wall and damaged the rear of his car.
The reigning champion was not able to return to the track for the reminder of the session.
As a result the German starts down in eighteenth, and last, place.
The first race of the weekend gets underway at 13.30 local time and will run for 55 minutes plus one lap.
2018 DTM Series Results: Norisring – Qualifying One
[table id=3125 /]
