Fans of the ADAC GT Masters are in for some hot action at the Nürburgring in more ways than one this weekend (3rd-5th August). Lamborghini driver Franck Perera (34, F, GRT Grasser Racing Team) secured best time as temperatures nudged 30 degrees earlier in first practice. The gaps between cars were once again very small, demonstrating how evenly matched the field is in the Super Sports Car League. IronForce by RING POLICE’s Fan World is another big attraction at the meeting.

Perera, who shares the Lamborghini Huracán with Ezequiel Perez Companc (24, RA), defied the hot weather conditions to set the fastest time of 1:27.371 minutes at an early stage in the session. “We carried on from where we left off yesterday in testing,” said the ex-Formula 1 test driver. “Everything is going well. It’s extremely hot, which doesn’t make things any easier for us. It’s going to be very close out on track this weekend. We’re working hard to find a good set-up for qualifying so that we can get a good position on the grid.”

The second-fastest pair of drivers in the 60-minute practice session, Luca Stolz (23, DEU) and Sebastian Asch (32, DEU), were a mere 0.027 seconds down on best time, getting the weekend off to a great start in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 for home team, Zakspeed BKK Mobil Oil Racing. The Audi pairing of Mike David Ortmann (18, DEU) and Markus Winkelhock (38, DEU) took third place from BWT Mücke Motorsport team-mates Ricardo Feller (18, CH) and Christopher Haase (30, DEU). Rolf Ineichen (40, CH) and Christian Engelhart (31, DEU) in another Lamborghini fielded by GRT Grasser Racing Team completed the Top Five at the end of the 60-minute session. Just one second covered 21 cars in all on the Nürburgring’s 3.62-km sprint track.

Calendar for the 2018 ADAC GT Masters

13/04/18 -15/04/18 Motorsport Arena Oschersleben

27/04/18 -29/04/18 Autodrom Most (CZ)

08/06/18 -10/06/18 Red Bull Ring (AUT)

03/08/18 -05/08/18 Nürburgring

17/08/18 -19/08/18 Circuit Zandvoort (NL)

07/09/18 -09/09/18 Sachsenring

21/09/18 -23/09/18 Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg

Source. ADAC GT Masters/Photo. Gruppe C