The 37-year-old, who will drive a Porsche 911 GT3 R entered by his own KÜS Team75 Bernhard and share the cockpit with Kévin Estre, is looking forward to making his debut in the Super Sports Car League: “The nearer we get to the season opener, the more impatient I am for it to finally start. It is fun to drive the updated Porsche 911 GT3 R, even if it is a big change for me from the Porsche 919 Hybrid. I was able to get a good initial impression in the official tests at Oschersleben. The field is so well matched, and although it was only a test rather than an actual race, everyone was fighting extremely hard.”

Bernhard feels well prepared for the opening race in Oschersleben, not least because his team is already contesting its third season in the series and because they also won the opening fixture at Oschersleben last year. “The team is super-motivated, and I think we can build on what we have learned over the past two years,” says the Porsche works driver. “With Kevin at my side, we are well prepared here. The ADAC GT Masters will be a new challenge for me, with the main objective of further developing Team75.”

Bernhard is reluctant to make any forecasts about the first race of the season: “The series has grown incredibly in stature over recent years, the standard has risen and the competition has got tougher. We have learned so much in the past two seasons. The in depth quality this year is extremely high, and no one knows exactly where they stand, but that’s what makes it so exciting. We have been preparing intensively for the start of the season over the past few weeks, and we aim to have fault-free weekend.”