Kelvin van der Linde made a strong statement at the start of day two in the DTM at the Red Bull Ring by securing pole position for the second race of the season. Driving the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, the South African set a lap of 1:27.575, claiming his first pole with BMW and the tenth of his DTM career.
"I am unbelievably proud to be on pole position at my first DTM race weekend with BMW. After I failed to finish Saturday's race, the team did a super job on what was a long evening. The car was like a rocket in qualifying. The pressure in the DTM huge, but I am really looking forward to the race", said van der Linde.
Late-session dominance seals pole
The qualifying session once again highlighted the incredible competitiveness of the DTM, with minimal gaps separating the top drivers. Van der Linde stood out as one of the most active drivers on track, continuously improving his lap times in the final phase before securing pole with his ninth flying lap.
Rookie Finn Wiebelhaus delivered one of the biggest surprises by placing the Ford Mustang GT3 in second, just 0.085 seconds behind. A result that underlines Ford’s potential early in the season and adds another layer of unpredictability for the race.
Mercedes pressure continues as Auer targets home success
Lucas Auer once again put Mercedes-AMG in the mix by setting the third-fastest time, keeping alive hopes of a home victory in front of Austrian fans. Close behind was Jules Gounon in fourth, while Maro Engel completed the top five, confirming the German brand’s consistency with three cars among the fastest five.
The session unfolded at an intense pace, with constant changes at the top of the timesheets. Wiebelhaus secured second place on his sixth lap, edging Auer by just eight thousandths of a second in one of the closest moments of qualifying.
With BMW, Ford, and Mercedes-AMG all in contention, the stage is set for another unpredictable and fiercely competitive race at the Austrian circuit. If qualifying is any indication, the fight for victory will come down to the smallest details.
