Advantage Audi: Championship leaders De Phillippi & Mies on pole in first Hockenheim race

• Connor De Phillippi takes best time in first quali session of season finale
• Audi and Porsche strong on slightly damp Hockenheimring track
• SPORT1 will broadcast the first race live today at 1 pm

Hockenheim: The championship leaders threw down the gauntlet in the ADAC GT Masters season finale at Hockenheim by posting fastest time in qualifying for the first race. Connor De Phillippi (23, USA) and team-mate Christopher Mies (27, DEU, both Montaplast by Land-Motorsport) secured a comfortable position on the grid in what is shaping up to be an exciting title fight. Their major championship rivals, the Audi pairing of Jules Gounon (21, F) & Daniel Keilwitz (27, DEU, both Callaway Competition) will start the penultimate race of the season from 13th place on the grid in their Corvette C7. SPORT1 will broadcast the first race live at 1 pm on free-to-air TV. The race is also available online as a live stream at: www.sport1.de and www.adac.de/gt-masters and on Facebook.

"We prayed for rain - and it came," said Connor De Phillippi. "That was definitely an advantage for us, because our car always does well on a wet track. We're in pole position, our team-mates are in third place - qualifying could hardly have gone better. The team have done a fantastic job so far, and I would wish to say thank you now before the race. We would never want anything bad to befall our rivals in the, but we are in an excellent position with regard to the championship, as they are only 13th on the grid. But every race in the ADAC GT Masters is long, and anything can happen. We cannot afford to make any mistakes."

As forecast, the weather in Baden-Württemberg deteriorated overnight. Drivers went at it hammer and tongs on a track which was a bit damp at first but gradually dried out in the course of the 20-minute session. With a time of 1:52.369 minutes, American series newcomer De Phillippi posted the fastest lap to take his third pole position. David Jahn (25, DEU, KÜS TEAM75 Bernhard) will also start on the front row. Born in Speyer just a few kilometres from Hockenheim, this local driver in third position overall also still has a chance of winning the title. Kévin Estre (27, F) is his team-mate in the Porsche 911.

The team-mates of the championship leaders, Christopher Haase (29, DEU) & Stéphane Ortelli (46, MC, both Montaplast by Land-Motorsport) secured third place in another Audi R8. Le Mans winner Ortelli is contesting his first race weekend in the Super Sports Car League at Hockenheim. Two more Porsche 911s driven by Robert Renauer (31, DEU) & Martin Ragginger (28, A, both Precote Herberth Motorsport) and Marvin Dienst (19, DEU) & Christopher Zanella (26, CH, both bigFM Racing Team Schütz Motorsport) occupy the next two places in P4 and P5.

Nicolai Sylvest (19, DK) & Nikolaj Rogivue (20, CH, both AMG Team Zakspeed) will line up in sixth position in the best-placed Mercedes-AMG. The winners of the rain-affected second race at Zandvoort, Philip Geipel (29, DEU) & Rahel Frey (30, CH, both YACO Racing) once again proved their class by finishing seventh on the slippery track. Lamborghini teams completely dominated the remaining positions in the Top Ten with Kelvin Snoeks (29, NL) & Elia Erhart (28, DEU, both HB Racing WDS Bau) in P8, Florian Spengler (28, DEU) & Emanuele Zonzini (22, RSM, both Bonaldi Motorsport) P9 and Markus Pommer (25, DEU) & Jaap van Lagen (39, NL, both HB Racing WDS Bau) P10.

Fans who want to attend the ADAC GT Masters season finale at Hockenheim in person can buy tickets in advance, starting at just 20 euros, including access to the paddock, at www.adac.de/motorsport.