SEAT Sport driver Yvan Muller arrived at Oschersleben after a seven-week break with a five-point lead over teammate Gabriele Tarquini, with Augusto Farfus a further point behind.

Gabriele Tarquini was fastest and amongst those who joined him were Lada Sport driver Jaap van Lagen and independents Tom Coronel and Marin Čolak.

[6] Andy Priaulx was fastest in Sunday morning warm up, ahead of BMW teammates Jörg Müller and Augusto Farfus.

At the first chicane Jörg Müller was spun round and hit by BMW Team Germany teammate Augusto Farfus, with Rob Huff and Jordi Gené also involved.

Lada Sport driver Jaap van Lagen was due to score the team's first points in fifth, having held off pressure from a convoy of Nicola Larini, Farfus and Stefano D'Aste.

D'Aste scored his first points of the season in seventh, while fellow independent BMW driver Franz Engstler was set to start race two on pole position after finishing in eighth.

Tarquini took the lead of the championship after SEAT Sport teammate Yvan Muller broke his right front wheel and suspension after clipping the tyre stack on the inside of the first chicane having been passed for tenth by Farfus.

A drive-through penalty for D'Aste and a mechanical failure for Engstler allowed Tarquini to score his second podium finish of the day, which means he left Germany leading the standings.

Coronel benefitted from the misfortunes of D'Aste and Engstler to take the independent class victory in eighth, with the Chevrolets of Rob Huff and Alain Menu rounding out the top 10.