In what can be described as damp but drying track conditions at Nürburgring today saw Audi’s Andre Lotterer and Marcel Fassler take the pole position in the #7 Audi R18 with a combined average of 1m39.444s. Audi also took the number spot on the grid as the #8 car car driven by Jarvis and Di Grassi qualified just 0.266s behind #7 car despite a late session spin. As in the season opener at Silverstone, Audi, now in Germany, captured the front row again with its two hybrid sports cars.
“In spite of difficult conditions everything went perfectly today. Both driver teams were fast and used the right tactics,” said Audi Motorsport head Wolfgang Ullrich.
“I had no traffic and managed a sensational lap,” said Lotterer who achieved the second-fastest single time in the field. “Staying out for three laps was the right choice because we became faster and faster.” Marcel Fässler added: “We were instantly very fast today. A thank you goes to our new engineer Erik Schuivens. It’s a shame that our teammate Benoît Tréluyer can’t be with us today. We’re in close contact with him and he’s sharing the thrill with us.”
The #1 – reigning WEC championship car – a Porsche 919 Hybrid driven by Mark Webber and Timo Bernhard was third quickest. This was followed by Lieb and Jani in fourth in The #2 Porsche 919 Hybrid. Toyota TS 050 Hybrids will start fifth and sixth with #6 ahead of the #5 car.
