Dream start for the ADAC GT Masters this Friday morning at the Red Bull Ring - the Super Sports Car League kicked off the first practice session of the fourth race weekend of the season under bright blue skies and with temperatures already in the twenties. Toni Seiler and Jeroen Bleekemolen (Callaway Competition) got away to the best start in Austria in their yellow Corvette Z06.R GT3. After an unfortunate finish for Seiler in the last race at the Lausitzring, Seiler/Bleekemolen announced their return with a best time in first practice. While Seiler/Bleekemolen were very quick in FP1, three more Z06.R Corvette GT3s prepared by Callaway Competition and RWT also finished in the Top Ten. Diego Alessi and Patrick Assenheimer slotted into fourth place ahead of Oliver Gavin/Keilwitz, while David Jahn and Sven Barth, who are back in the ADAC GT Masters after missing a race, were ninth.

Local drivers Hari Proczyk and Gerhard Tweraser (Grasser Racing) made a fine start in the Lamborghini Gallardo FL2. The two Austrians were in front for quite a long time until Bleekemolen took best time. On the final lap, Max Sandritter and Jens Klingman muscled their way into second place in the BMW Z4 GT3 (PIXUM Team Schubert), only 0.012 seconds behind Seiler/Bleekemolen, consigning Proczyk/Tweraser to third place with a deficit of just 0.144 seconds.

Maximilian Götz and Maximilian Buhk placed fifth in the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 (HTP Motorsport), finishing ahead of the second BMW Z4 GT3 in the field with Claudia Hürtgen/Dominik Baumann (PIXUM Team Schubert).

ADAC GT Masters championship leader Jaap van Lagen produced the eighth fastest time together with Christian Engelhart, who is back in the Porsche 911 GT3 R (GW IT Racing Team Schütz Motorsport) after a two-race break. Fabian Hamprecht and Nicki Thiim (Prosperia C Abt Racing) were the fastest Audi duo in tenth place.

Another best time for Corvette in the Gentlemen practice session

A yellow Corvette Z06.R GT3 was also in front in the Gentlemen practice session that follows on from FP1, giving Corvette two top positions. Remo Lips (Callaway Competition) was the fastest Gentlemen driver ahead of team-mate Toni Seiler. Lining up with a new partner this weekend, Dominic Jöst (TONINO Team Herberth) was third fastest in the Porsche 911 GT3 R. Stefan Wackerbauer raced an Audi R8 LMS ultra at the season opener in Oschersleben but is at the wheel of the Porsche for the first time in Austria this weekend, as he stands in for Florian Scholze, who has been taken ill.