Daisuke Nakajima will start Sunday’s second of two Super GT x DTM Dream Races from pole position after beating DTM’s Loic Duval by just over two-tenths.
Nakajima, driving the Motul Mugen Honda NSX-GT, put in a late flyer as the conditions gradually improved, though not by much as the rain failed to abate over the 30-minute session.
Duval was therefore the highest placed DTM entry in second and had held provisional pole until Nakajima posted his 1:46.696 time. The Audi driver narrowly beat third-placed Modulo Epson’s Narain Karthikeyan by a tenth.
The top eight saw four Super GT vs four DTM entries as both groups managed to master the wet conditions at the Fuji circuit in Japan.
Naoki Yamamoto completes the second row in fourth ahead of DTM champion Rene Rast, Keihin’s Koudai Tsukakoshi, BMW’s Marco Wittmann and Audi’s Mike Rockenfeller, eighth.
Kamui Kobayashi placed 13th – this weekend marking his DTM debut – whilst Benoit Treyuler starts 15th. Alessandro Zanardi was the slowest runner in 22nd with a time of 1:50.558.
Nissan struggled in the conditions, with NISMO driver Tsugio Matsuda the highest placed for the manufacturer down in 17th place.
Sunday’s Race 2 starts at 5:30am (GMT). Improved weather is forecast for the afternoon.
