The ADAC GT Masters' first 'mountain stage' at the Red Bull Ring is now over with the close of Friday morning's first free practice session. Mercedes-Benz clinched first quickest time, as the Austrian away leg of the Super Sports Car League got under way at the natural track in Styria. Maximilian Buhk and Maximilian Götz (Polarweiss Racing), who achieved their first victory together in the ADAC GT Masters at the Nürburgring, posted fastest time (1:32.190) in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 during the 60-minute session, which started on a damp track. Second quickest time went to the BMW Z4 of Max Sandritter and Jörg Müller (PIXUM Team Polarweiss) with a deficit of 0.415 seconds.

Porsche were particularly strong in first practice. Mario Farnbacher in the Porsche 911 GT3 R held P1 for quite a long time until the driver changeover when team-mate Alfred Renauer took the wheel from the 21-year-old. In the end, Porsche secured positions three, four and five with Martin Ragginger/Robert Renauer and René Bourdeaux/Alfred Renauer (both Tonino powered by Herberth Motorsport) finishing ahead of Mario Farnbacher/Philip Frommenwiler (Farnbacher Racing).

Diego Alessi and Daniel Keilwitz brought home the fastest Corvette in sixth place to take the chequered flag ahead of Simon Knap/Jeroen den Boer (DB Motorsport) in the BMW Z4 and the fastest Audi R8 LMS ultra driven by Sebastian Asch and Florian Stoll (MS RACING). The second MS RACING Audi R8 with Daniel Dobitsch/Aditya Patel and the Ford GT of Frank Kechele and Dominik Schwager (Lambda Performance) completed the Top Ten.