Audi Locks Out Front Row for 6H Nürburgring

Photo: Vision Sport Agency

Audi Sport Team Joest has locked out the front row for Sunday’s Six Hours of Nürburgring, with Andre Lotterer and Marcel Fassler taking the top spot in a mixed-condition qualifying for the fourth round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

The pair, racing as a twosome in the No. 7 Audi R18 without co-driver Benoit Treluyer this weekend, set an average lap time of 1:39.444 in the session, with Lotterer taking the first stint and setting a fast time on his slick tires before the rain increased.

Oliver Jarvis and Lucas Di Grassi secured second in their No. 8 Audi, with Di Grassi setting the fastest time of the session during his qualifying stint.

It marked Lotterer and Fassler’s second pole of the season, in a rather surprising result given Porsche had topped the time charts in every Free Practice session this weekend, although in full dry conditions.

The two Porsches will start from the second row, as the No. 1 Porsche 919 Hybrid edged out the No. 2 car. Mark Webber took to the track twice in the session after just one flying lap at first before handing the car over to Timo Bernhard.

The No. 6 Toyota TS050 Hybrid will line up fifth on the grid ahead of the sister No. 5 car for Toyota Gazoo Racing, over one-second adrift from the pole-sitting Audi.

Rebellion Racing led the LMP1 Privateer field with its No. 13 Rebellion R-One AER of Dominik Kraihamer and Alexandre Imperatori. They’ll be joined by Matheo Tuscher on Sunday.

G-Drive Racing, meanwhile, secured its fourth LMP2 class pole out of four races, with an average lap time of 1:48.984 from Roman Rusinov and Rene Rast in the No. 26 Oreca 05 Nissan.

They will lead the class field at the start of Sunday’s race, along with co-driver Alex Brundle.

The No. 36 Signatech Alpine Alpine A460 Nissan will start from second, ahead of Strakka Racing’s Gibson 015S Nissan, which benefitted from the changing conditions.

The Six Hours of Nürburgring gets underway Sunday at 1 p.m. local time (7 a.m. ET).

RESULTS: Qualifying

Jake Kilshaw

Jake Kilshaw is a UK-based journalist. He is a graduate of Politics and International Relations.