Drivers in the ADAC GT Masters were met with changeable Eifel weather for the first practice session around the Nürburgring's short track. A total of 41 super sports car and 82 drivers had a very early start, at 08:00am, as FP1 got underway. Extensive experience of difficult Eifel conditions paid off during the first 45-minute session for Chris Mamerow and René Rast in the Audi R8 LMS ultra prepared by Mamerow Racing. The Mamerow pair, old hands at the Nürburgring, posted a best time of 01:38.909mins on the short 3.6km sprint track.

With a deficit of just 0.410secs, the BMW ALPINA B6 GT3 (ALPINA), showing start number #1, of defending champions Dino Lunardi and Maxime Martin took second fastest time from the FACH AUTO TECH Porsche 911 GT3 R of Martin Ragginger/Swen Dolenc. Nicki Thiim, who this weekend is putting in his second guest appearance of the 2012 ADAC GT Masters season and co-driver Robert Renauer in another Porsche 911 GT3 R (FROGREEN CO2 neutral), achieved the fourth-fastest lap time. They were followed home by the Audi R8 LMS prepared by ultra Prosperia uhc speed and driven by Christian Abt/Luca Ludwig, after Abt's team-mate in the first three events, Christian Tilke, was put out of contention for this weekend.

Sebastian Asch/Maximilian Götz (kfzteile24 MS RACING Team) in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 were once again the fastest Mercedes pair, finishing ahead of the second Prosperia Audi R8 of Christopher Mies/Edward Sandström and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP600+ of Albert von Thurn and Taxis/Stefan Rosina (InternetX Reiter Engineering). Niclas Kentenich and Mario Farnbacher in the new Porsche 911 GT3 R (Farnbacher ESET Racing) and Sachsenring winners Kristian Poulsen/Christoffer Nygaard in the Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 (Young Driver AMR) complete the Top Ten.