Di Resta boosts DTM title hopesposted in DTM18 | 09 | 2010

BATHGATE'S PAUL di Resta gave his DTM Championship hopes a massive boosts when he sealed his second successive pole position. The 24-year-old Scot, who won from pole position at Brands Hatch a fortnight ago, again dominated the field at Oscherslaben in Germany.

After topping the timesheets through the second and third elimination heats, Di Resta destroyed the opposition in the top four shoot-out. The Scot's best time of 1min 21.394secs was 0.261s faster than his Mercedes team-mate and championship leader Bruno Spengler.

"Back-to-back poles is fantastic," Di Resta, who starts tomorrow's race just nine points adrift of Spengler, admitted today. "After the success of Brands Hatch a fortnight ago it was crucial the team and I maintained the momentum we'd established, so it's great to be on pole again this weekend at Oscherslaben.

"As I'd hoped, overnight the guys dialled the figures into the car and today the Mercedes just flew. I'm not saying I got the perfect lap, but what I did was fast enough to get the No1 slot.

"What's important for me is that again I'm starting in front of Bruno and from a Mercedes point of view it's great because, just like at Brands Hatch, we're starting from the front two positions on the grid.

"Hopefully I can get another great start and lead the race into the front corner and then pull away from the rest of the field. We dominated the race from start to finish at Brands; here's hoping I can do the same tomorrow."

The second row of the grid is filled by Audi duo Mike Rockenfeller and defending champ Timo Scheider. Ominously for Di Resta and Spengler, rows three and four are also occupied by Audi drivers with the next-highest Merc that of England's Jamie Green in ninth.

Former F1 grand prix winner David Coulthard struggled and could only manage to qualify 16th of the 18 racers.

Jim McGill