Bernd Schneider with pole in Barcelona - Timo Scheider on course for title

No. 6 Bernd Schneider-AMG Mercedes-AMG
Mercedes C-Klasse DTM

BARCELONA : September 20, 2008 - In qualifying for the ninth DTM season round, DTM record champion Bernd Schneider claimed his first pole position since qualifying at Zandvoort in 2005. In a heart-stopping final, the 44-year old driver took his AMG Mercedes C-Class to a fastest lap time of 1:07.248 minutes in the final second.

No.10 Timo Scheider - Audi Sport Team Abt - Audi A4 DTM

Thus, Schneider toppled the leader in the points' standings, Audi driver Timo Scheider, with the tiny margin of only 31 thousandths of a second. "I hadn't expected to claim pole today after qualifying had been my weak point all season so far", Schneider said, happy with the 25th pole position of his career in the DTM.

Third on the grid for Sunday's 172.666 kilometres long race, which will get underway at 2 pm, is Scotsman Paul di Resta (Mercedes-Benz). Di Resta and Briton Jamie Green (Mercedes-Benz) are third in the points' standings, nine points behind Scheider. In qualifying, Green ended up fifth fastest behind the Barcelona pole sitter of 2006 and 2007 and the race winner of 2006, Martin Tomczyk.

Defending DTM champion Mattias Ekstro"m from Sweden (Audi) will be starting the ninth season round from sixth place on the third row. His fellow Audi driver Mike Rockenfeller landed a huge surprise by qualifying seventh with his year-old Audi. Only one week before, the 24-year old German had won the championship title in the European-based Le Mans Series for Audi. Pre'mat will be starting from eighth place.

Qualifying didn't go too well for Mercedes-Benz driver Ralf Schumacher. The German was already sidelined after the first shoot-out heat. Schumacher will be starting from 17th place on the grid. Danish Audi driver Tom Kristensen and Canadian Bruno Spengler (Mercedes-Benz) also failed to make it into the third and decisive heat and will be starting from ninth and tenth place for the 58 lap race.

The starting grid at Barcelona

1 Bernd Schneider (Mercedes) 1m 07.248s
2 Timo Scheider (GW:plus/Top Service Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.279s
3 Paul di Resta (Mercedes) 1m 07.305s
4 Martin Tomczyk (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.346s
5 Jamie Green (Mercedes) 1m 07.384s
6 Mattias Ekstro"m (Red Bull Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.404s
7 Mike Rockenfeller (S line Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.494s
8 Alexandre Pre'mat (Audi Bank/Shell Helix Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.583s
9 Tom Kristensen (Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.551s
10 Bruno Spengler (Mercedes) 1m 07.564s
11 Oliver Jarvis (Best Buddies Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.709s
12 Christijan Albers (Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.893s
13 Gary Paffett (Mercedes) 1m 07.924s
14 Markus Winkelhock (Playboy Audi A4 DTM) 1m 07.929s
15 Maro Engel (Mercedes) 1m 08.183s
16 Mathias Lauda (Mercedes) 1m 08.390s
17 Ralf Schumacher (Mercedes) 1m 08.408s
18 Susie Stoddart (Mercedes) 1m 08.435s
19 Katherine Legge (Audi A4 DTM) 1m 08.846s

[Source : DTM - Audi Motorsport]