NUREMBERG, Germany — Ben Dörr (Butzbach/Dörr Motorsport) was the fastest driver in the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo on Friday, navigating the walls and barriers.
The 21-year-old lapped the Norisring in 48.793 seconds during free practice, setting the fastest time of the day.
“I felt really comfortable in the car. Compared to the past two years at the Norisring, we’ve made a lot of progress. The track layout and the asphalt with its many bumps don’t particularly suit the McLaren, but of course I’m hoping for good results. A podium finish would be cool, even if it will be difficult,” said Dörr.
Lucas Auer (A/Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf) finished second, 0.151 seconds behind on the shortest track of the calendar at 2.162 kilometers. Jules Gounon (F/Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter) was third, 0.024 seconds behind his fellow Ferrari driver.
Nicki Thiim (DK/Comtoyou Racing) finished fourth in his Aston Martin Vantage GT3, while Thierry Vermeulen (NL/Emil Frey Racing) was the best Ferrari driver in fifth. Only the top five drivers managed to set their fastest laps in under 49 seconds.
The first free practice session in the morning allowed the field to adjust their car setups to the tight and undulating street circuit in Nuremberg, with temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius. Maro Engel (Monaco/Mercedes-AMG Team Ravenol) set the fastest time with 49.202 seconds. “It’s always great fun to drive at the Norisring. The track is really cool, and it’s even better when you’re at the front in practice. I’ve been driving in the DTM for a long time, but a win at the Norisring is still missing from my list,” revealed the veteran driver.
In the second session in the afternoon, the drivers went full throttle from the start. After just 12 minutes, Gounon was the first driver to break the 49-second barrier and held the lead for a considerable time.
Auer finally took over the lead on his 32nd lap, before Dörr moved into first place shortly afterward and improved his time again a lap later, setting the fastest lap of the day.
