With the 2016 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) season now into its initial stages, BMW Motorsport’s Tom Blomqvist posted the fastest time in first practice at the Red Bull Ring.
The Team RBM driver set the initial benchmark time of a 1:23.941 around the 4.326-km track, ahead of Audi Sport’s Edoardo Mortara and Team RMG’s Timo Glock. The top three were separated by just 0.261 seconds at the end of the 30-minute session.
In a session that was dominated by the BMWs, the best of the Mercedes drivers was HWA’s Maximilian Götz in fourth, as 2013 champion Mike Rockenfeller was able to make his way just behind the Stuttgart driver.
Marco Wittmann led a trio of M4 DTMs from sixth to eighth place, as the 2014 champion closely outpaced Bruno Spengler and António Félix da Costa. Home hero Lucas Auer would be faster that Team Abt Sportsline’s Mattias Ekström, as the Swede was tenth fastest, 0.738 seconds off the pace of Blomqvist.
Current points leader Paul Di Resta was 15th fastest behind Team ART’s Esteban Ocon, with Robert Wickens 22nd fastest. Maxine Martin, who is the leading BMW driver in the standings, was 1.852 seconds off the pace by the Anglo-Swede in last place.
The remainder of the British contingent found themselves a little bit further down the order, as Gary Paffett was just 0.011 seconds slower than Ekström, whilst last year’s runner-up Jamie Green settled for 13th fastest.
The second free practice session of the weekend starts at 12:40 local time (11:40am BST), lasting for thirty minutes.