Vitaphone Racing's Alex Muller became the first Maserati MC12 driver to top the times in FIA GT Championship qualifying for more than a season at Oschersleben today.
Muller claimed the top spot around the 2.3-mile German track with a 1m24.546s lap, just over three tenths clear of Karl Wendlinger aboard the K plus K Saleen S7R.
It was the first time a Maserati had claimed a genuine pole since the Nogaro FIA GT round at the end of 2007, although Andrea Bertolini had inherited pole at Adria last month after Wendlinger's exclusion for a technical infringement.
Muller, who shares the #2 Vitaphone MC12 with Miguel Ramos, said: "I got the maximum out of the car and am happy to have taken pole at the home race for me and the team. There's still a lot of work to do on the race set-up, but I'm confident."
Wendlinger , who partners Ryan Sharp, was surprised not to have gone faster during the 15-minute session.
"I expected to be quicker, but maybe the rain before the session changed the grip level," he said. "For the first time this weekend we had a bit of understeer."
GT2 honours went to Porsche factory driver Jorg Bergmeister, who is making his first appearance in FIA GTs since 2004. The late stand-in at the British Trackspeed squad qualified his 2008-spec Porsche 911 GT3-RSR two tenths clear of Martin Ragginger in Brixia Racing's similar 911.