From the Austrian Alps to the Ardennes Forest - the ADAC GT Masters makes a welcome return to the Formula 1 circuit at Spa -Francorchamps in Belgium next weekend (19th - 21st June) after a one-year absence. The third race weekend of the 2015 campaign is about to be contested on this highly demanding circuit in the Ardennes, an event that many drivers regard as the highlight of the racing calendar. It will be the second of three excursions for the ADAC GT Masters outside the borders of Germany this year, and the line-up will include a prominent guest as record DTM championship winner Bernd Schneider (50, Bottighofen/CH) makes his ADAC GT Masters debut. His first ever outing in the Super Sports Car League will be behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG shared with Austria's Hari Proczyk (39).

New drivers in Porsche and Lamborghini

Bernd Schneider is not the only Mercedes-Benz driver who will be attracting attention in Belgium, because the Mercedes-Benz pairing of Luca Ludwig (26, GER) and Sebastian Asch (29, GER) arrive as championship leaders. The Team Zakspeed duo have made a solid start to the new season, finishing in the Top Four in all four races so far contested. Ludwig is in confident mood: "Sebastian Asch stated categorically in an interview on SPORT1 immediately after the race at the Red Bull Ring that we intend to win in Belgium. I obviously can't set our sights any lower now. I'm sure that this track is going to suit our Gullwing just fine."

Another contestant whose season has got off to a cracking start is Klaus Bachler (23) who drives a GW IT Racing Team Schütz Motorsport Porsche 911. The Austrian is now about to start the third weekend of 2015 with his third co-driver. Team boss Christian Schütz has yet to decide who will have the privilege of partnering Bachler in the quest for further podium finishes at the fastest track on the ADAC GT Masters calendar.

Series newcomer David Russell (33) from Australia has made an instant impression. After winning one of the races at the Red Bull Ring in his Reiter Engineering Lamborghini Gallardo, Russell now has reinforcement from Down Under in the shape of co-driver and fellow Aussie Steve Owen (40).

Dutchman Jeroen Bleekemolen (33) of Bentley Team HTP who shares the cockpit of his Bentley Continental with Luca Stolz (19, GER) is feeling optimistic: "Spa is a very fast track, which should suit our Bentley, so I'm hoping for a good result there."

BMW winners of last ADAC GT Masters race at Spa

Claudia Hürtgen (43, GER) and Dominik Baumann (22, A) of BMW Sports Trophy Team Schubert will be pleased to be back in Belgium. Two years ago, the BMW duo scored a victory in Race 2 on the Ardennes rollercoaster. This year, Hürtgen and Baumann together with new team-mates Jens Klingmann (24, GER) and Uwe Alzen (47, GER) will be aiming to get back in winning ways. Also hoping for more success this time round are the Audi teams who left Austria with an uncharacteristically meagre points haul. The prospects for Belgium are much more encouraging, with the Audi R8 having won three of the last 24-hour endurance races staged there.

Porsche challenges Nissan and Corvette in the Gentlemen stakes

The main contenders in the Gentlemen class - Dominic Jöst (36, GER) and Florian Scholze (42, GER) in an MRS GT-Racing Nissan and Remo Lips (32, CH) in an RWT Racing Team Corvette - come up against a new challenger at Spa-Francorchamps: Rene Bourdeaux (40, GER), who lifted the runner-up trophy in the 2013 Gentlemen competition, is to make a guest appearance partnering Alfred Renauer (30, GER) in a Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911.

Sophisticated track layout makes big demands on Pirelli tyres

"The mix of high-speed straights with uphill and downhill sections makes this track exceptionally demanding for the tyres in terms of both mechanical and aerodynamic forces," says Anna Playford, Track Engineer at ADAC GT Masters exclusive tyre partner Pirelli. "Added to which, the weather is always an unpredictable factor. Our tyres are able to demonstrate their quality of performance in all track conditions at Spa."

FIA Formula 3 European Championship as part of support programme

Racing action at Spa-Francorchamps will not be restricted to the ADAC GT Masters and the new ADAC Formula 4 series; adding to the excitement of the occasion will be the FIA Formula 3 European Championship which joins the GT4 Euro Series and the Renault Clio Cup Central Europe for the first time as part of a varied and extensive support programme.