Paul Di Resta took his first pole position of the 2018 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters season, in what was another closely-competitive 20-minute qualifying session for the fifth race of the year.
The Scot piloted his Mercedes around the 4.381-km circuit to the top of the timesheet with a 1:37.349, which was the first time since Hockenheim race two in 2016, 0.135 seconds quicker than Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Nico Müller.
Lucas Auer was third fastest, with defending champion René Rast completing the second row. All four drivers were separated by 0.249 seconds.
Edoardo Mortara and Daniel Juncadella made it four from Stuttgart in the top six, ahead of Britain’s Jamie Green, who was seventh fastest.
Brazil’s Augusto Farfus was the best of the BMW contingent down in eighth place, just 0.077 seconds in front of 2005 champion Gary Paffett, with Bruno Spengler completing the top ten.
Loïc Duval fractionally missed out on a top ten starting position, as the Frenchman was just 0.015 seconds behind Spengler, but had the same margin in hand against Pascal Wehrlein, who was the lowest placed of the Mercedes drivers down in twelfth.
Robin Frijns, who set the pace in a rain-laden second practice will start from 14th, behind Marco Wittmann.
Joel Eriksson matched Frijns on respective lap efforts, but the Swede will start in 15th, due to having set his time later than the Dutchman.
Points leader Timo Glock was 0.912 seconds off the pace set by Di Resta, but starts at the back part of the grid in 16th, with Philipp Eng and Mike Rockefeller completing the field for the first race of the weekend.
The opening race for the weekend starts at 1330 local time (BST + 1 lap), lasting for 55 minutes plus one lap, with all drivers needing to make a mandatory pit stop.
Qualifying result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport REMUS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 9 | 1:37.349 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 8 | 1:37.484 | 0.135 |
| 3 | 22 | Lucas AUER |  |
SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 8 | 1:37.564 | 0.215 |
| 4 | 33 | René RAST |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 9 | 1:37.598 | 0.249 |
| 5 | 48 | Edoardo MORTARA |  |
SILBERPFEIL Energy Mercedes-AMG Motorsport | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 9 | 1:37.727 | 0.378 |
| 6 | 23 | Daniel JUNCADELLA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport REMUS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 9 | 1:37.729 | 0.380 |
| 7 | 53 | Jamie GREEN | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 9 | 1:37.904 | 0.555 |
| 8 | 15 | Augusto FARFUS |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 10 | 1:37.917 | 0.568 |
| 9 | 2 | Gary PAFFETT | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport PETRONAS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 9 | 1:37.994 | 0.645 |
| 10 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 10 | 1:38.050 | 0.701 |
| 11 | 28 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 9 | 1:38.065 | 0.716 |
| 12 | 94 | Pascal WEHRLEIN | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport PETRONAS | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 9 | 1:38.080 | 0.731 |
| 13 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 11 | 1:38.127 | 0.778 |
| 14 | 4 | Robin FRIJNS |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 8 | 1:38.138 | 0.789 |
| 15 | 47 | Joel ERIKSSON |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 10 | 1:38.138 | 0.789 |
| 16 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 8 | 1:38.261 | 0.912 |
| 17 | 25 | Philipp ENG | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 10 | 1:38.268 | 0.919 |
| 18 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 9 | 1:38.274 | 0.925 |