Dress rehearsal for 2020 ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring

• Two days of preseason testing at the Lausitzring
• New cars and new drivers get first chance to size up the opposition
• Online magazine PS on Air (Der Ravenol ADAC GT Masters-Talk) live from the paddock

Munich: The long wait is over, as the official ADAC GT Masters preseason tests at the Lausitzring take to the track next weekend (18th - 19th July). During the first real test of strength of 2020, the teams will be giving the eight different brands of super sports car an extensive run-out ahead of the new season, which opens two weeks later (31st July - 2nd August) at this same circuit south of Berlin. On Saturday evening, ADAC GT Masters fans can look forward to live coverage from the Lausitzring. Starting at 18:30 CEST, Patrick Simon will be presenting the Ravenol ADAC GT Masters talk show 'PS on Air' directly from the pit lane, with all the latest news from the first day of testing. The show can be watched on the ADAC YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/adac.

The first collective outing of the season will take place under social distancing measures and a strict hygiene concept developed by the ADAC GT Masters and officially approved by the authorities. The new Bentley Continental GT3 to be fielded by T3 Motorsport will come under public scrutiny for the first time at the Lausitzring. It is up against some tough competition, not least among which will be the Audi driven by defending champions Patric Niederhauser (28, CH) and Kelvin van der Linde (24, ZA, both Rutronik Racing). The Evo versions of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the Ferrari 488 GT3 will also make their first appearance in the racing series. There is another prominent newcomer on the starting grid, namely the Audi outfit WRT, one of the most successful GT3 racing teams at international level.

There will also be numerous new faces among the drivers. Around 15 series rookies will get their first impressions of the ADAC GT Masters at the Lausitzring, including Porsche works driver and ex-Formula 1 test driver Simona De Silvestro (31, CH, Küs Team75 Bernhard), DTM race winner Joel Eriksson (22, SWE, Schubert Motorsport) and reigning FIA GT World Cup champion Raffaele Marciello (25, ITA, HTP-Winward Motorsport) who will be contesting his first full season in the ADAC GT Masters. The teams and drivers will have the opportunity to get a feel for the new homologated tyres from exclusive partner Pirelli at the Lausitzring.

"It's time to get going at last," says last year's champion Kelvin van der Linde with evident delight. "We are all very happy that we are allowed to drive again after the long break, because it has been a hard time for everyone. The tests are important for getting back into the rhythm of motor racing and for us to do our preparations for the season opener. The last time the ADAC GT Masters was staged at the Lausitzring was in 2017. Since then, several new cars have emerged, and there are also new tyres. Consequently, the tests are bound to provides us with a lot of important insights."

The tests will be held in closed session on both days in accordance with official regulations. Detailed updates on the test will be posted at the weekend on adac.de/motorsport and the various digital channels of the ADAC GT Masters. Testing for the ADAC Formula 4 and the ADAC TCR Germany series will also take place on Saturday and Sunday alongside the ADAC GT Masters rehearsal.