Paffett-Scheider, the duel continues

If it was the Swede Mattias Ekström who took pole this Saturday at Hockenheim, all eyes are on the drivers who set the second and third times in Q4. Ekström having abandoned all hope of a title in Dijon, the supreme reward will be played out this Sunday between Gary Paffett (Mercedes, 2nd on the grid) and Timo Scheider (Audi, 3rd).

With a seven-point lead, the German has the advantage and his third place on the grid, a few centimeters from his rival, should help him keep his destiny in his hands. Gary Paffet, if he wants to win the Grail, must win and hope that Scheider does not do better than sixth at the end of the race.

Despite his weight handicap following his victory in Dijon, the Briton nevertheless managed to place himself in second position on the grid, slotting himself between the Audi A4s of Eskström and Scheider.

« My C Class was great, recognized Paffet after his good qualification. The ten kilo weight handicap is not a problem for me. I need to finish first or second tomorrow to keep my title chances and, with that in mind, being second on the grid is a good thing. However, my chances of closing the seven-point gap on Timo are not very good »

« For us, it was important to keep in touch with the start of the grid, declared Timo Scheider for his part. We couldn't make a mistake like we did in Dijon. The fact that I went out very early in Q3 showed that I didn't want to take any risks. Instead, we even accepted the fact that the track wasn't as good here and there. This allowed us to show our performance and avoid traffic, without taking any risks. That's why I'm very happy. I'm behind Gary (Paffett) on the grid, having been beaten by only two hundredths. This is a good starting point for tomorrow. »