Audi went into this weekend’s double header in contention for the drivers’ title courtesy of Rene Rast, with the German driver trailing BMW’s Sheldon van der Linde by only 12 points prior to today’s opening qualifying session.
But Rast was unable to put up any challenge for pole position as he qualified last among the title contenders in ninth place, nearly four tenths off the pace of pole-sitter and Mercedes rival Lucas Auer. He eventually took the start from seventh following grid penalties for van der Linde and Thomas Preining.
