The ex-Formula 1 star and FIA GT1 World Champion is from Germany's south-west. He is one of the big names in the Super Sports Car League and first drove in the series in 2012 at the Nürburgring. He has contested some 90 ADAC GT Masters races or so since then and is amazed at just how much the series has come on: "The ADAC GT Masters has continued to grow over the years, gaining strength both in terms of drivers and teams. It's always been a great series but is on a completely different level today. We had well over 30 cars competing even in 2011, but it's become much more difficult now to get into the Top Ten. The standard of driving is very high and competition between drivers immense. Sometimes in qualifying, 30 cars are covered by just one second. You can easily drop seven or eight places down the grid if you make a small mistake, don't make best use of tyres or have to abort a hot lap because of a yellow flag, and after that, it's not easy to move back up in the strong field of drivers."

39-year-old Winkelhock has raced for BWT Mücke Motorsport during the past three years but will be at EFP Car Collection by Tece for the first time this season, sharing an Audi R8 LMS with Florian Spengler. Why the change of teams, Markus? "Well, Florian comes from south-west Germany like myself and was desperate to race alongside me. Plus, Car Collection have been on my radar for quite some time. I've already contested a couple of endurance races for the outfit, including last year's 24 Hours at the Nürburgring. They are an amazing team and do a very professional job. As with Mücke, there’s a real family atmosphere that I like. We had one or two interesting discussions which subsequently brought me along this path, so a change of scene is now on the cards, which should give me fresh impetus. I’m really looking forward to my new mission."

Winkelhock will no longer have a young team-mate as was the case just recently at Mücke, and in actual fact, Spengler has contested even more races in the ADAC GT Masters than Markus. Will that mean a change of role for you? Winkelhock: "No, not really. Florian may have contested more races than me in the ADAC GT Masters, but since I'm an Audi Sport driver, I'm better acquainted with the R8 LMS, have raced the car a lot more, and so, will be only too happy to share my experience. Another factor to bear in mind is that Florian is not a professional driver. He works full-time for his father. He only races at weekends but does a really good job, all things considered."

Speaking about their goals for the season, Winkelhock continued: "Florian and I want to bond as well as we can as a team and be really strong together. I've still got some unfinished business in the ADAC GT Masters and intend to secure one or two podiums. We'll have to see where we stand once the season gets under way. The series is so strong that it’s not possible to say you'll consistently finish in the Top Three or Five, so our goal will be to achieve decent results. I think that aiming to become regulars in the Top Ten is a realistic objective but not easy to achieve in view of the huge amount of competition."

Winkelhock is trying to make the best of the ongoing situation with the coronavirus: "I do a lot of sport, go jogging and out on my racing bike or mountain bike for hours at a time. I live in Prague, so there are plenty of good routes around here. I'm trying to keep myself as fit as possible." However, he is not doing any sim racing, which is currently proving very popular with fellow motor racing drivers everywhere, because, as he told us: "I've never really been a big fan of it, since I prefer proper motorsport. You see, I miss the smells, the sounds and the adrenaline rush, which is why I don't have a simulator. I've never bought one. Still, I wish I had with the way things are now. I’ve watched a few races online and have to say, it's amazing just how good and realistic sim racing is these days. I'd love to have a go, for sure!"