Christian Engelhart (Starnberg/Team Joos by Racemotion) set the fastest lap of Friday’s two free practice sessions in the ADAC GT Masters. The 2020 champion’s time of 1:29.000 minutes was enough to ensure his Porsche 911 GT3 R ended the day at the top of the timing sheet. Lamborghini driver Benjamin Hites (CHL/GRT Grasser-Racing-Team) and Ben Green (GBR) in the Schubert BMW completed the top three at the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

At the wheel of their super sports cars from Audi, BMW, Mercedes-AMG and Porsche, the ADAC GT Masters kicked off round five of this season under overcast skies and in temperatures around 22 degrees Celsius. It was Engelhart who clocked the fastest time on the 4.318-kilometre strip of asphalt in the Styria region of Austria. “I share the cockpit with Michael Joos and we work well as a team. For this reason, it did not take long for me to settle in. It is great to have started the weekend with the fastest time. The Red Bull Ring is a mega circuit and really enjoyable to drive at. I am already really looking forward to the two ADAC GT Masters races,” said Engelhart.

Second place went to Nürburgring winner Hites (+0.196 seconds). Green ended the two 45-minute sessions third in the best-placed BMW M4 GT3 (+0.225 seconds). Ralf Aron (EST/Haupt Racing Team) was fourth fastest in his Mercedes-AMG GT3 (+0.271 seconds). In fifth place, half a second behind Engelhart, was BMW driver Maxime Oosten (FK Performance Motorsport). The Dutchman lines up alongside 2012 DTM champion Bruno Spengler (CAN) at the current Formula 1 circuit.

The international field in the ADAC GT Masters returns to the track at 08:25 on Saturday morning to determine the grid positions for race nine of the season. Qualifying is streamed live on the free YouTube channel @adacmotorsports. TV partner Sport1 is broadcasting the race action in Spielberg live from 15:00 on free-to-air TV.