DTM madness: Bortolotti claims final pole and regains the lead

“I was totally in the zone. Turn after turn I realised that it could be a perfect lap. I could not have responded better in the title race. We showed character and delivered as a team, which is something I am very proud of,” said Bortolotti. His team-mate Thiim was just 0.135 seconds slower and crowned his impressive performance with second place. In third was Ricardo Feller from Abt Sportsline, while DTM debutant Jules Gounon backed up what has been a fine appearance so far at the Hockenheimring with fourth place. Kelvin van der Linde qualified fifth and was the last of the drivers to crack the 1:37.000-minute mark.

There was tension in the air ahead of the final qualifying of the 2024 DTM season. With just two points separating the leader Kelvin van der Linde and his closest rival Bortolotti, qualifying took on even greater importance. Most drivers only took to the track for a few laps in the light fog at the start of the session, before returning to their garage and waiting for the ideal time to produce the perfect lap. As has been the case all season, the race against the clock truly began in the final five minutes.

Thiim was the first to set a flying lap, but was replaced at the top of the timings just seconds later by Gounon. Shortly thereafter, Kelvin van der Linde took the lead. With a good three minutes remaining, the stage was set for Bortolotti. The 34-year-old had a clear track ahead of him and produced a flawless lap to clock the top time. The final qualifying of the season again emphatically underlined how evenly matched the field is, with the top ten all within just four tenths of a second.