BMW Team RMG’s Marco Wittmann set the fastest time in the second DTM practice at the Hockenheimring, the two-time series champion was the only driver to set a sub-90 second lap, claiming top spot with a time of 1 minute 29.881 seconds.
The BMW driver, who won the opening race at Hockenheim this season, was 0.608 seconds faster than newly crowned 2019 DTM champion Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s René Rast.
Unlike the first practice session rain stayed clear for the half and hour session and, thanks to other series running during the break, a noticeable dry line had formed.
Audi Sport Team Phoenix’s Loïc Duval was the first to lap competitively, his time of 1 minute 33.066 seconds displayed early on that the track was in significantly better condition as drivers began lapping nearly 15 seconds faster than first practice.
Now two-time DTM champion Rast and BMW Team RBM driver Sheldon van der Linde momentarily set fastest laps before Wittmann set the first time within the 1 minute 31’s, clocking a lap at 1 minute 31.619 seconds.
The session was neutralised with 17 minutes remaining after R-Motorsports driver Paul Di Resta suffered a steering column failure on a hot lap, sending the 2010 series champion into the outside wall at the final corner.
The Slow Zone was lifted with around 11 minutes to go, and times began to tumble with Audi Sport Team Rosberg’s Jamie Green topping the times within the final five minutes thanks to 1 minute 30.656 second lap.
However, it would not stay top for long as Wittmann swiftly set the first time under the 1 minute 30 second barrier to go quickest before the safety car practice, with a time of 1 minute 29.881 seconds.
The field then lined up to practice the Indy-style restarts that are a much loved part of DTM, and the SuperGT got their first taste of ‘racing’ action as the field were released at the start-finish line.
The checkered flag waved and Wittmann stayed fastest, with a six-tenth gap to Rast in second.
BMW Team RMR’s Timo Glock was third fastest, with a time of 1 minute 30.583 seconds, less than a tenth faster than the second Team Rosberg car of Jamie Green who’s fastest lap was a 1 minute 30.656 seconds.
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline’s Nico Müller was fifth fastest after setting a time of 1 minute 30.916 seconds. The Swiss driver who contested for this years title was the first driver outside a second of Wittmann’s best.
Audi Sport Team Phoenix’s Mike Rockenfeller was sixth fastest with a time of 1 minute 30.962 seconds, ahead of BMW Team RMR’s Philipp Eng with a 1 minute 31.026 second lap.
Audi Sport Team WRT’s Pietro Fittipaldi was eighth fastest after setting a time of 1 minute 31.113 seconds, less than half a tenth faster than BMW Team RMG’s Bruno Spengler who was a further tenth faster than Duval who rounded out the top ten.
Daniel Juncadella was the fastest of the R-Motorsports Aston Martins in 12th, setting a time of 1 minute 31.855 seconds, nearly 2 seconds slower than Wittmann.
The gap between the SuperGT competitors and the DTM cars looked to have narrowed significantly in the dry, as Honda Team Kunimitsu driver Jenson Button was 15th fastest with a 1 minute 31.986 second lap, and despite Lexus Team Tom’s driver Ryō Hirakawa finishing the session 17th fastest, the Japanese driver was inside the top ten for a large part of second practice.
The qualifying for race one gets underway at 10:30 CEST (9:30 BST).
Session result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 16 | 1:29.881 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 33 | René RAST | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 18 | 1:30.489 | 0.608 |
| 3 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 16 | 1:30.583 | 0.702 |
| 4 | 53 | Jamie GREEN |  |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 17 | 1:30.656 | 0.775 |
| 5 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 16 | 1:30.916 | 1.035 |
| 6 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 18 | 1:30.962 | 1.081 |
| 7 | 25 | Philipp ENG |  |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 16 | 1:31.026 | 1.145 |
| 8 | 21 | Pietro FITTIPALDI |  |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 16 | 1:31.113 | 1.232 |
| 9 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 16 | 1:31.151 | 1.270 |
| 10 | 28 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 18 | 1:31.253 | 1.372 |
| 11 | 4 | Robin FRIJNS |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 15 | 1:31.689 | 1.808 |
| 12 | 23 | Daniel JUNCADELLA |  |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 13 | 1:31.855 | 1.974 |
| 13 | 62 | Ferdinand VON HABSBURG | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 15 | 1:31.950 | 2.069 |
| 14 | 47 | Joel ERIKSSON |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 15 | 1:31.960 | 2.079 |
| 15 | 1 | Jenson BUTTON | |
Team Kunimitsu | Honda NSX-GT GT500 | 16 | 1:31.986 | 2.105 |
| 16 | 27 | Jonathan ABERDEIN |  |
Audi Sport Team WRT | Audi RS5 DTM | 16 | 1:32.291 | 2.410 |
| 17 | 37 | Ryo HIRAKAWA |  |
Lexus Team KeePer TOM’S | Lexus LC 500 GT500 | 15 | 1:32.339 | 2.458 |
| 18 | 31 | Sheldon VAN DER LINDE | |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 16 | 1:32.531 | 2.650 |
| 19 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 6 | 1:32.541 | 2.660 |
| 20 | 76 | Jake DENNIS | |
R-Motorsport | Aston Martin Vantage DTM | 15 | 1:33.301 | 3.420 |
| 21 | 35 | Ronnie QUINTARELLI |  |
Nismo | Nissan GT-R Nismo GT500 | 16 | 1:33.527 | 3.646 |