Mathieu Jaminet (KÜS Team75 Bernhard, Porsche 911 GT3 R): “We can feel satisfied with today. We got through our planned programme. My team-mate Michael Ammermüller drove in the first free practice, and in the second, it was my turn. The car feels better and better. But I think that tomorrow will be more difficult for us, as the track doesn’t suit the Porsche all that well. I’m hoping, though, that we can qualify in the Top Five.”
Renger van der Zande (Callaway Competition, Corvette C7 GT3-R): “That was a very interesting day. We changed a lot on the car and kept improving the setup. I went out in the last minutes of the second session after a major change to the setup, and that was once again a clear step forward. I don’t think we are competitive enough to finish on the podium or even in the Top Five, but it should be possible to score points. Zandvoort is a circuit that doesn’t suit the Corvette too well. I am very satisfied with the way Friday went. Jules Gounon is great to have as a co-driver, and the team are providing me with all the opportunities I need to quickly acclimatise myself to the Corvette.”
Christopher Mies (Montaplast by Land-Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS): “In the first practice, I had a puncture and then a crash. Unfortunately, that gave our mechanics a lot of work. But they did a great job and got the car back in shape for the second session. Unfortunately, we lost practice time due to the accident and we’re consequently lagging behind the other teams. But I think we should be fast enough for the Top Five. Whether it’s enough to finish at or near the front, we’ll have to see.”
Luca Stolz (Mercedes-AMG Team ZAKSPEED, Mercedes-AMG GT3): “The day started well with the best time in the test. We were here at Zandvoort quite recently doing some testing, so we had a good setup right from the start. In free practice, we had a minor problem with the car and had to make some adjustments. But we are confident about tomorrow. Because you don’t know who was using what tyres today, Friday is never very conclusive.”
Frank Stippler (BWT Mücke Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS): “Markus Winkelhock is the only one of the four Audi drivers in our team who recently tested here. He therefore had a good setup right from the start. But there is still a small gap to close, and we three have some catching up to do. The new surface offers much more grip, though the bumps have remained largely the same. But after all, that’s what makes this the track it is.”
Marco Mapelli (Team HB Racing, Lamborghini Huracán GT3): “We tested here two weeks ago. However, the track conditions today were quite different. The car is feeling its way into it, though we still have too much understeer. It is always difficult to say who’s fastest after free practice, as everyone is on tyres that have different amounts of wear. We were second fastest in FP2 on new tyres. Hopefully, we’ll have more luck this time and at last get another decent result.”
Elia Erhart (Audi Sport racing academy, Audi R8 LMS): “It was a difficult day. We had an engine failure in this morning’s test and therefore missed out on the first free practice and the Trophy practice. We posted only a few laps in the second session to see if everything was working again. It’s a pity, because here on this track, every lap is important for the driver. Our setup isn’t quite right either, so qualifying tomorrow morning will not be easy.”
Chris Höher (Audi Sport racing academy, Audi R8 LMS): “The team has done everything it can to get the car repaired for the second practice. We managed to put in only a few flying laps, of course, which is a setback. Now, it’s a matter of getting our heads down and hoping for the best. Qualifying will be like jumping into a cold bath for us. In the race, we need to avoid making any mistakes and to exploit any situations that help us out. Damage limitation is the name of the game.”