DTM Norisring: Pole for Thiim, disaster for Porsche and BMW
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Pole position for Nicki Thiim in Saturday's DTM qualifying, which was split into two groups due to the short nature of the Norisring. The Dane clocked a 48.449-second lap to top the charts in Group B, which ran later and benefited from increased grip. As a result, Thiim will start ahead of Winward Mercedes driver Maro Engel, who set the pace in Group A with a time of 48.463 seconds.
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Driving the Comtoyou Aston Martin, Thiim also broke the lap record set by Jordan Pepper last year (48.467). "I just love it here in Nuremberg," said the Norisring specialist, who claimed his only DTM victory to date here in 2024 driving an SSR Lamborghini. "I touched the wall two or three times, but that gives you a bit of a kick."
Aside from the walls, the brakes were a major challenge for Thiim: "With the two hairpins, the brakes are at 110 percent of their limit. That is why I would love to keep the fresh air for the entire race," he added, emphasizing his determination to stay ahead at the start.
Engel takes DTM lead with second on the grid
Thanks to the two points awarded for second on the grid, Engel moved from third to the top of the overall standings, as Emil Frey Ferrari driver Matteo Cairoli failed to make the top three. The Winward Mercedes driver utilized an unconventional strategy in qualifying - completing two runs on a single set of tires. He set his fastest time on his 20th lap, proving that tire degradation plays a minor role on this street circuit.
"I think it is difficult for everyone to get the tires into the right window here," Engel told ran.de. "The asphalt is very smooth, which is why you see different strategies. We chose the one that worked best for us."
Ford Mustang, McLaren, and Mercedes waiting in the wings
Behind Thiim and Engel, the grid is formed by interleaving the two qualifying groups. The Ford team HRT has reason to be optimistic with the Mustang GT3 Evo: Arjun Maini starts from third, while teammate Finn Wiebelhaus secured eighth in his Norisring debut.
Fourth place went to McLaren driver Ben Dorr, who followed up his maiden DTM win at the Lausitzring with another strong performance. "We can all be happy because this is actually the worst track on the calendar for us," the youngster noted. "We usually need those nice, big, flowing tracks with smooth asphalt and few bumps - unfortunately, the Norisring does not have that."
Nevertheless, the Dorr squad has made significant progress in Nuremberg, where they struggled immensely during their debut two years ago, despite testing not being allowed. Unlike his teammate, Dorr's teammate Timo Glock competed in the second qualifying group and finished 13th.
Behind Dorr, three Mercedes-AMG drivers lined up: Landgraf Mercedes driver Lucas Auer finished fifth, followed by Winward's Jules Gounon in sixth, and Tom Kalender in the second Landgraf car in seventh, despite several wall contacts. Auer, who drops from second to third in the standings, told ran.de that they are "solidly in the mix." He added: "It is a good starting position for the race - we can definitely make something happen from there."
Like Friday: Porsche and BMW far behind
Qualifying did not go as planned for Emil Frey Ferrari driver Cairoli, who finished 12th - losing his championship lead and dropping to second behind Engel. The fast Italian, who ran in Group A, struggled with his brakes, which are the key to success at the Norisring, just as he did on Friday.
The situation was even worse for Porsche and BMW. Thomas Preining, a multiple winner at the Norisring, will start as the best-placed Porsche in 15th, with teammate Ricardo Feller in 16th. Right behind the Swiss driver, Kelvin van der Linde starts 17th as the top BMW performer. Local hero Marco Wittmann could only manage 20th in the second Schubert BMW.
Kelvin van der Linde frustrated: "We do have an explanation"
"It is bitter to be trailing like this all weekend," a deeply disappointed Kelvin van der Linde told ran.de. "That is not our standard at all." When asked if he had an explanation, he replied: "We do have an explanation. But I have to say, everyone in the team is a bit frustrated right now when you are six-tenths too slow over just four corners."
He noted that teammate Wittmann's result speaks for itself. "Marco is a two-time DTM champion, and I have not been unsuccessful here in the past either. It is extremely frustrating for both of us. The cars feel really good in the corners. We both put together two good qualifying laps."
When asked if the Balance of Performance was the issue, the German-South African gave a clear answer: "That is it." However, he added that he does not want to "focus on the politics." "I just want a chance to compete at the front - everything else is relatively irrelevant to me. I simply wish for a bit more pace." It remains to be seen whether the BoP will be adjusted before Saturday's race.
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