For 27-year-old Markus Pommer, the 2017 season was his most successful so far in the Super Sports Car League. He clinched his maiden victory in the Aust-Audi R8 LMS at the Nürburgring and had a good chance of lifting the title until he was forced to miss the penultimate round of the season at the Sachsenring due to illness.

He wants to build on previous triumphs following his move to HTP Motorsport where he shares a Mercedes-AMG with ex-champion Maximilian Götz. "HTP Motorsport are definitely one of the best and have already enjoyed plenty of success in GT motor racing," said Pommer. "So I'm very optimistic. We would like to be in title contention. The minimum we want to achieve is a place in the Top Three in the overall standings, which will not be easy, because the field of entrants in the ADAC GT Masters gets stronger every year. But after getting so close in 2017, I intend to go back on the offensive."

Pommer is also delighted with his new team-mate: "Maxi won the ADAC GT Masters in 2012, has driven in the DTM and has also been successful in single-seater racing. He can certainly drive and will definitely know a few tricks as a Mercedes-AMG works driver. I've already got to know him a bit better at HTP, and he's a very laid-back kind of guy. I think we'll have a good chance of being among the front-runners."

Pommer got the chance to test drive the V8 racing car properly for the first time in Misano (Italy) this week following a brief outing over two laps in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 for a photo shoot. A test session in Most planned subsequently was cancelled because of bad winter weather: "Of course, it took a bit of getting used to after the Audi. The Mercedes-AMG is designed differently with the engine at the front and a longer wheelbase, but I managed to post decent lap times relatively quickly. I had to adjust my style of driving just a little bit. You have to be a little slower into the turns in the Mercedes AMG but can then immediately get back on the throttle thanks to the high torque."