The final on-track preparations for the 2017 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season has now concluded, as today’s pre-season test day saw BMW’s Timo Glock fastest off all ten drivers running at the Hockenheimring.
Glock posted his best time of a 1:30.201 in the morning session, before going onto complete a total of 125 laps around the 4.574-km circuit.
The Team RMR driver was closely followed by 2010 champion and fastest Mercedes driver, Paul di Resta, with defending champion Marco Wittmann rounding out a very close top three, split by just 0.061 seconds.
Mercedes BWT driver Lucas Auer was also running in the top five, posting the fourth fastest time, but was one of only two drivers that eclipsed over 160 laps in the process.
Robert Wickens, who had been fastest on the penultimate day, was the other, and the Canadian racked up a total of 183 laps in his C63 AMG Coupé.
However, Wickens was only eighth in the timings over the day’s running behind Bruno Spengler, who was the only driver to not take part in the afternoon session.
The fastest of the Audi contingent was 2013 champion Mike Rockenfeller in fifth, 0.358 seconds off the pace set by Glock, with Mattias Ekström in close pursuit.
René Rast, who was also confirmed for a full-time drive for this season alongside Loïc Duval, was just ahead of Maxime Martin, who rounded out the order.
The first meeting of the season kicks starts the DTM’s return at Hockenheim on May 5th, where Marco Wittmann will have to fight a lot more challenges than just his opposition to take a third title.