Loïc Duval fastest in third and final practice at Zandvoort

Audi Sport driver Loïc Duval set the fastest time at this morning’s competitive third free practice session at Zandvoort, with Audi and BMW drivers battling for the top spot until the last moment.

The Frenchman from Team Phoenix set a best lap time of 1:28.326, pipping BMW’s Augusto Farfus by just 0.023 seconds in his last flying lap.

Maro Engel was third and the only Mercedes driver in the top ten, a tenth and a half off the pace. Audi drivers Jamie Green, Mike Rockenfeller and Mattias Ekström followed, with the Swede matching the 2013 champion’s best lap, a quarter of a second off Duval’s lap time.

BMW completed the top ten with Maxime Martin in seventh place, three-tenths off the pace, followed by Marco Wittmann, yesterday’s winner Timo Glock and Bruno Spengler.

Mercedes’ Lucas Auer, who was second fastest with only two minutes to go, finished the session in 11th place. Championship leader René Rast had a difficult session struggling with balance and was 18th and last, nearly two seconds off the pace.

Qualifying for Race 2 is scheduled for 12:00 CET.

Pace setter Duval said: “I feel I haven’t changed anything. We look good and we’ve been on the pace all the weekend. At least we have the base, it will be difficult to battle with BMW here, but we will give it all. DTM is a very specific category with specific cars and tyres. It has been difficult getting to grips with it, even if it’s so close, but I feel it’s coming together for me, so it’s a question of keeping going.”