As the 2017 DTM campaign nears its conclusion in the coming month, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters returned once again to the famed Nürburgring.
The first practice session for this weekend’s two races in the Eifel region saw the 18 drivers – that are currently all still in possible contention for this year’s championship title – battle the typical regional weather that was entirely heavy rainfall on Friday afternoon.
Still, the 30-minute session had little incidents, with drivers showcasing good car control amid difficult circumstances.
British driver and 2005 DTM champion Gary Paffett, driving for the AMG HWA Team, went fastest of the lot with a 1:36.959, with fellow Mercedes-Benz pilot Paul di Resta following closely in second.
BMW Team RMG teammates Augusto Farfus and Marco Wittmann scored the third and fourth fastest laps respectively.
Current runner-up in the championship René Rast was the fastest Audi driver in fifth place, while BMW Team RBM’s Maxime Martin ended the session in sixth.
Martin’s teammate Tom Blomqvist followed in seventh, with just 0.021 seconds separating the Briton from Swiss Audi Abt Sportsline driver Nico Müller.
Bruno Spengler from BMW Team RBM and Team RMG’s Timo Glock were ninth and tenth quickest, putting all of BMW’s cars into the top ten.
The first of two races at the Nürburgring is due to take place on Saturday at 14:45 local time, with a 20-minute qualifying session prior at 11:40.
Session results
| POS | NO | DRIVER | NAT | ENTRANT | CAR | LAPS | TIME | GAP |
| 1 | 2 | Gary PAFFETT |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 18 | 1:36.959 | 0.000 |
| 2 | 3 | Paul DI RESTA | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 19 | 1:37.050 | 0.091 |
| 3 | 15 | Augusto FARFUS |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 19 | 1:37.098 | 0.139 |
| 4 | 11 | Marco WITTMANN |  |
BMW Team RMG | BMW M4 DTM | 19 | 1:37.352 | 0.393 |
| 5 | 33 | René RAST | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 19 | 1:37.735 | 0.776 |
| 6 | 36 | Maxime MARTIN |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 20 | 1:37.827 | 0.868 |
| 7 | 31 | Tom BLOMQVIST | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 17 | 1:38.022 | 1.063 |
| 8 | 51 | Nico MÜLLER |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 18 | 1:38.043 | 1.084 |
| 9 | 7 | Bruno SPENGLER |  |
BMW Team RBM | BMW M4 DTM | 17 | 1:38.131 | 1.172 |
| 10 | 16 | Timo GLOCK | |
BMW Team RMR | BMW M4 DTM | 19 | 1:38.138 | 1.179 |
| 11 | 99 | Mike ROCKENFELLER | |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 18 | 1:38.292 | 1.333 |
| 12 | 22 | Lucas AUER |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 17 | 1:38.449 | 1.490 |
| 13 | 5 | Mattias EKSTRÖM |  |
Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline | Audi RS5 DTM | 15 | 1:38.613 | 1.654 |
| 14 | 48 | Edoardo MORTARA |  |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport BWT | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 16 | 1:38.995 | 2.036 |
| 15 | 6 | Robert WICKENS | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport Mercedes me | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 18 | 1:39.012 | 2.053 |
| 16 | 77 | Loïc DUVAL |  |
Audi Sport Team Phoenix | Audi RS5 DTM | 18 | 1:39.168 | 2.209 |
| 17 | 53 | Jamie GREEN | |
Audi Sport Team Rosberg | Audi RS5 DTM | 16 | 1:39.876 | 2.917 |
| 18 | 63 | Maro ENGEL | |
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport SILBERPFEIL Energy | Mercedes-AMG C63 DTM | 18 | 1:40.776 | 3.817 |