Here’s what the drivers had to say after the first two practice sessions in the ADAC GT Masters at the remodelled circuit in the Dutch dunes.

Thomas Preining (Küs Team Bernhard, Porsche 911 GT3 R): “The track improved significantly towards the end. At first, there was a lot of sand on the asphalt. We improved nicely and found a solid set-up for tomorrow. It is very tight at the top this year. We are looking forward to tomorrow’s qualifying and are obviously hoping to make up a few positions. The banked corners here are totally different – I think they make it more exciting.“

Markus Winkelhock (Car Collection Motorsport, Audi R8 LMS): “We did not use any new tyres in the first practice session, but we did so in FP2. That allowed us to improve significantly. We can be happy with first place, but it is ultimately what you do in qualifying that counts. I hope the balance will be similar, as the car felt good. If so, we will have a good chance of securing a position towards the front of the grid. I find the new track cool. Turn 3 is particularly impressive. As you enter it, the banking appears even steeper than it does from the outside. The new layout is great fun and should lead to better racing.”

Michael Ammermüller (SSR Performance, Porsche 911 GT3 R): “The car worked well. We will now analyse some data and prepare for qualifying tomorrow. Generally speaking, we are confident about the coming sessions. The final corner here is a lot faster than it used to be and, in my opinion, it is a bit easier than before. Turn 3 is also far faster than in the old layout. It is a bit strange at first, but on the whole the circuit is better and faster.”

Simon Reicher (Yaco Racing, Audi R8 LMS): “We are in a positive frame of mind after the first practice sessions. The banked corners are unique on the calendar and are great fun. Fortunately, there was not as much sand on the track at the end of the session. We are motivated and looking forward to tomorrow’s qualifying.”

Maro Engel (Mercedes-AMG-Team Toksport WRT, Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo): “The mechanics really had to get stuck in to assemble the new chassis after the crash at the Red Bull Ring. They really did a great job. We had a completely problem-free day. The start to the season was a little unfortunate for us, so we are hungry to finally finish on the podium – hopefully on both days.“

Nick Yelloly (Schubert Motorsport, BMW M6 GT3): “The new layout suits our car. We struggled on the old one. Jesse drove a very good lap to put us in third place. There are still a few things we can do to the car. Let’s see how it goes tomorrow. Zandvoort and the Sachsenring are probably the circuits that suit us best. As such, we want to get the best possible results here.”