Wickens on DTM pole for first time-866

Mercedes driver Robert Wickens took his maiden DTM pole position with an impressive performance in qualifying at the Norisring, as championship leader Mike Rockenfeller had a disastrous day.

After topping the first part of qualifying and easily progressing into the single-lap Q4 shootout, Wickens took provisional pole in his HWA C-coupe in 48.384 seconds.

Champion Bruno Spengler, the only man left to make his Q4 effort after Wickens, then fell short by 0.059sec in his Schnitzer BMW, completing an all-Canadian front row.

Wickens' teammate Gary Paffett and Rosberg Audi driver Edoardo Mortara completed the front two rows.

Mercedes driver Pascal Wehrlein will start in a career-best fifth spot while Andy Priaulx equaled his best in the DTM with sixth for the RMG BMW squad, having impressively set the pace in Q2.

Wehrlein's RSC Mucke team-mate Daniel Juncadella was another to qualify higher than ever before in seventh while Filipe Albuquerque, Mattias Ekstrom - who spun at the final corner in Q2 -- and Christian Vietoris completed the top 10.

Abt Audi driver Jamie Green, who has won four of the past five Norisring DTM races, will start down in 14th after missing out on Q3. Rockenfeller, who is level on points with Spengler at the top of the championship but ahead of countback, fared even worse.

The Phoenix Audi driver starts 19th after late Q1 laps from Augusto Farfus and Joey Hand forced him out of the reckoning for the next part of the session.