The GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 (#964, Christian Engelhart/Rolf Ineichen/Mark Ineichen) tops the inaugural Hankook 12H RED BULL RING after the first three and a half hours. In the closing stages of the first part, the locally based team kept the upper hand in a thrilling battle with the Herberth Motorsport Porsche 991 GT3 R (#911, Daniel Allemann/Robert Renauer/Alfred Renauer). After multiple lead changes, both cars were finally separated by only 1.595 seconds. The pole setting Scuderia Praha Ferrari 488 GT3 (#11, Jiri Pisarik/Josef Král/Matteo Malucelli) came home third, just 8.3 seconds behind the leaders. The lead battle will continue after the overnight interruption.
The second GRT Grasser Racing Team Lamborghini Huracán GT3 (#963, Milos Pavlovic/Christoph Lenz/Mark Ineichen/Roberto Pampanini) leads the A6-Am field with fourth place overall. One lap down, the Car Collection Motorsport Audi R8 LMS (#32, Max Edelhoff/Horst Felbermayr Jr./Toni Forné) and the Hofor-Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#1, Michael Kroll/Chantal Kroll/Roland Eggimann/Kenneth Heyer/Christiaan Frankenhout) follow in second and third.
The top three in the 991 class have been in a close contention. With the first part in the books, the PROsport Performance Porsche 991 Cup (#85, Charles Putman/Charles Espenlaub/Joe Foster) holds the lead. One lap down, the Forch Racing by Lukas Motorsport Porsche 991 Cup (#81, Robert Lukas/Igor Walilko/Piotr Parys/Christopher Bauer) follows in second position ahead of the Olimp Racing by Lukas Motorsport Porsche 991 Cup (#67, Santiago Creel/Igor Walilko/Piotr Wojcik/Christopher Bauer).
Two Porsche teams are on top of the SP2 class. The Porsche Lorient Racing Porsche 991 Cup (#64, Philippe Polette/Frédéric Lelievre/Frédéric Ancel) kept the B2F compétition Porsche 991 Cup (#35, Benoit Fretin/Bruno Fretin/Michel Mitieus). at bay. Third is the VDS Racing Adventures MARC Focus V8 (#58, Raphaël van der Straten/Thierry de Latre du Bosqueau. The class pole setter, the True-Racing KTM X-BOW GT4 (#46, Gerald Kiska/Johannes Stuck/Ferdinand Stuck), already retired with consequential collision damage.
Having left from fourth on the grid, the Besaplast Racing Audi TTRS (#233, Franjo Kovac/Milenko Vukovic/Tomás Pekar) took over the lead in the SP3-GT4 class. The RTR Projects KTM X-BOW GT4 (#221, Sergej Pavlovec/Daniel Skalický/Tomas Miniberger/Erik Janis) is listed in second place, but was stationary in the pits for the final 20 minutes after having lost the class lead due to collision damage. Third in class is the HTM Racing Saker GT TDI (#222, Henk Thijssen/Monny Krant/Ivo Breukers), that also had multiple unplanned pit stops.
Being the only TCR car without problems so far, the Team Altran Peugeot Peugeot 308 Racing Cup (#908, Stéphane Ventaja/Thierry Boyer/Michael Carlsen) already holds a four lap lead. Their teammates, the Team Altran Peugeot Peugeot 308 Racing Cup (#308, Guillaume Roman/Thierry Blaise/Kim Holmgaard) follow in second, despite having suffered from a drive loss and a subsequent repair stop. Third is the Speed Factory Racing Audi RS3 LMS SEQ (#109, Jesus Fuster/Miguel Abello/Mirko van Oostrum/Jaime Fuster), that lost time with two braking mistakes at Remus corner.
The only A3 car, the Pfister-Racing Team Seat Leon Supercopa (#150, Mario Krall/Christof Pichler/Wolfgang Kriegl/Gerald Heigis), rests in 32nd position overall.
