Scheider takes pole

Living up to their promise that they would be the team to beat, Audi were indeed as dominant as they were in Mugello, their drivers locking out the top positions through a disrupted session, Scheider eventually leading an all-Ingolstadt top five.

Mercedes never looked like challenging Audi's superiority around the Dutch circuit, even after they were given another chance to shine during the first knockout session when Vanina Ickx produced the red flags.

The Belgian spun and rolled her Futurecom TME Audi at Scheivlak and although she emerged unscathed, it caused the session to be stopped with two minutes remaining. At this point five Mercedes' faced the six-car chop.

However, regulations stipulate that the lost time should be added onto the next knockout phase, with no drivers eliminated. Instead, 12 drivers would be knocked out in the next stage.

Despite the second chance, Mercedes failed to capitalise on this, the C-Class occupying seven of the last eight positions, including three of the 2007-specification entries.

The big loser was Jamie Green, who could only manage the 18th fastest time, just ahead of Susie Stoddart in 19th. Championship contenders Mika Hakkinen and Bernd Schneider will also start down in 13th and 14th, the duo hoping the Finn's win from 15th in Mugello will provide them inspiration for a much needed better race.

By contrast, Gary Paffett was a winner of the first session being scrapped, the 2005 winner on the verge of dropping out at the first time of asking before eventually ending up ninth at the second time of asking.

Heading into the shootout, just two Mercedes remained to tackle the six Audis that made it through to the final session, Bruno Spengler and Paul di Resta representing the 2007 and 2005-specification machines against all four 2007 A4s, plus a pair of year-old Audis.

Still, while most efforts in the Audi team are now focused behind leaders Mattias Ekstrom and Martin Tomczyk, the competition for pole position was certainly fierce.

Indeed, Tomczyk looked as though he has done enough to secure the top spot, only to be usurped by an on-form Scheider, the German waiting until the final seconds to deny his countryman his first pole position of the season.

It was enough to secure Scheider his first top spot since Zandvoort 2003 when he raced for Opel, although any hopes that he will be able to convert that into a maiden win is likely to be dependant on the actions of his championship challenging team-mates come race day.

Ekstrom will start second after jumping his team-mate at the close, while Alex Premat led the &lsquoused' challenge in fourth driving the year-old Phoenix entry. Tom Kristensen, winner in 2006, will start fifth after a low-key session.

Spengler was eventually left to lead the depleted Mercedes charge in sixth, just ahead of di Resta, the Scot once again defying his disadvantages of running an older car to score seventh on the grid. Mike Rockenfeller in the Team Rosberg Audi rounded out the top eight.