Jordan Pepper (ZA) was inspired by his victory at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps with the Grasser Racing Team.
The Lamborghini driver set the fastest practice lap at the Norisring on Friday with a time of 48.857 seconds and was the only driver to break the 49-second barrier.
“After my victory at the 24 Hours of Spa, I’m heading into the Norisring weekend with a lot of tailwind. I last drove here 11 years ago in the VW Scirocco Cup and even took pole position. The Norisring is unique; I like these tight and risky situations along the walls, where you have to be extremely focused,” said the South African from the TGI Team Lamborghini by GRT after the opening race of the fourth DTM race.
Gilles Magnus (B) provided the surprise of the day in the Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3: The DTM newcomer finished second after the two practice sessions, just 0.161 seconds behind the field.
Thierry Vermeulen (NL) also put in a strong performance, driving the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 to third place. Porsche works driver Thomas Preining (A) finished fourth in the Manthey EMA 911.
Maximilian Paul (Dresden) achieved the fifth-best time in the Paul Motorsport Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2. The 25-year-old set the fastest time of 49.468 seconds in the first free practice session, which was significantly slower than the second session in the afternoon.
“The Norisring is a cool track, but as a street circuit, it’s very special,” said Paul, explaining: “There are lots of bumps, hard braking zones, and heavy spins in the slow corners. You need sensitivity and a suitable setup. I’m looking forward to the weekend. The atmosphere here with all the fans is unique; everyone should experience it at least once.”
The drivers started the second free practice session on Friday afternoon much more aggressively than in the morning session. On the 2.162-kilometer street circuit in Nuremberg, the 50-second barrier was broken after just a few laps.
With eight minutes to go, Pepper set the fastest time and was only slightly slower one lap later, at 48.898 seconds. Magnus and Vermeulen secured second and third place shortly before the end of the second free practice session, while Paul secured the top five in the final second.
