Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s René Rast scored Saturday pole at the Nürburgring, his seventh DTM pole of the season, after setting a time of 1 minute 19.642 seconds to beat BMW Team RMG’s Bruno Spengler by 0.180 seconds.
The 2017 champion extended his points advantage over Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Nico Müller who will start this afternoons race from third.
Audi Sport Team WRT’s Jonathan Aberdein set the early pace with a lap of 1 minute 20.568 seconds, before being knocked from top spot by Rast who bettered the South African by nearly two tenths.
However, Aberdein fought back and bettered his time to go top a minute later with a lap at 1 minute 20.274, but as earlier in the session Rast replied, reclaiming provisional pole with a 1 minute 20.170 second lap before drivers headed to pitlane halfway through the session.
As drivers returned to the track with five minutes remaining, BMW Team RBM’s Sheldon Van der Linde jumped from well down the order to fastest, indicating that times were set to tumble.
Audi Sport Team Phoenix’s Mike Rockenfeller briefly went to the top with a time of 1 minute 19.914, the first lap into the 19s.
But behind Rast was going quicker and, with only 30 seconds remaining recorded his pole lap, a sensational 1 minute 19.624 seconds.
BMW RMG driver Bruno Spengler will start alongside Rast on the front-row after setting a time 0.180 seconds slower than pole in the dying moments.
Spengler’s performance scores BMW’s first front row start since Team RMG teammate Marco Wittmann scored Saturday pole at Brands Hatch.
Championship contender Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Nico Müller will start third, after lapping nearly three tenths slower than Rast. Joining the Swiss driver on the second row will be Rockenfeller who was only sixth thousandths slower than his Audi brandmate.
After setting the early pace, Aberdein will start this afternoon’s race from fifth, alongside Van der Linde in sixth. The rookie duo both within half a second of pole.
BMW Team RMR’s Timo Glock was seventh fastest, 0.499 seconds slower than Rast, with Audi Sport Team Pheonix’s Loïc Duval in eighth less than half a tenth back.
Rast’s Team Rosberg teammate Jamie Green was ninth fastest, setting a time of 1 minute 20.196 seconds, 0.554 seconds off the pole time.
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Robin Frijns rounded out the top ten, 0.573 seconds slower than Rast’s best.
Championship outsider Wittmann secured eleventh place on the grid after struggling to find space for a clean lap in the opening half of the session.
Paul Di Resta was again the fastest of the R-Motorsports drivers, setting a time of 1 minute 20.502 seconds which was 0.860 seconds slower than Rast.
Qualifying result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 33 | René RAST |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 12 | 1:19.642 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 11 | 1:19.822 | 0.180 |
| 3 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 12 | 1:19.908 | 0.266 |
| 4 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 11 | 1:19.914 | 0.272 |
| 5 | 27 | Jonathan ABERDEIN |  |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 10 | 1:19.943 | 0.301 |
| 6 | 31 | Sheldon VAN DER LINDE | |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 12 | 1:20.108 | 0.466 |
| 7 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 11 | 1:20.141 | 0.499 |
| 8 | 28 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 12 | 1:20.177 | 0.535 |
| 9 | 53 | Jamie GREEN |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 13 | 1:20.196 | 0.554 |
| 10 | 4 | Robin FRIJNS |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 10 | 1:20.215 | 0.573 |
| 11 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN | |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 12 | 1:20.468 | 0.826 |
| 12 | 21 | Pietro FITTIPALDI |  |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 12 | 1:20.485 | 0.843 |
| 13 | 25 | Philipp ENG |  |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 10 | 1:20.496 | 0.854 |
| 14 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 12 | 1:20.502 | 0.860 |
| 15 | 47 | Joel ERIKSSON |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 12 | 1:20.559 | 0.917 |
| 16 | 76 | Jake DENNIS | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 11 | 1:20.686 | 1.044 |
| 17 | 23 | Daniel JUNCADELLA |  |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 12 | 1:20.750 | 1.108 |
| 18 | 62 | Ferdinand VON HABSBURG | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 6 | 1:25.139 | 5.497 |