Reigning TAG Heuer Pro-Am champion Stephen Grove has scored an impressive fifth in class in his second Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup outing at Hockenheimring, Germany.

The strong performance was highlighted by a clean start, which saw him improve four positions in the opening segment of the race.

It came after he was forced to start the 14-lapper from the rear of the field following a technical penalty that was handed down post-qualifying due to the car not being weighed in time at the conclusion of the session.

Clear skies greeted Supercup for the race on Sunday, where the Melbourne-based driver crossed the line an impressive fifth in the Pro-Am class at the chequered flag.

Speaking after the race, Grove said he was extremely happy with the end result of the weekend.

“The race was really good,” exclaimed Grove. “I managed to grab a couple of spots and ended up fifth in class which is pretty good at this level.

“It’s so important to know the tracks over here, it takes a year to work them out, so I’m still learning every step of the way.

“Qualifying, unfortunately was a little bit disappointing – I was running well up the order when everyone was on wet tyres, 14th or 15th I think, which is unbelievable.

“Then everyone came in to put slicks on and the team made an error and put wets back on my car, so I was out on wets, that’s why I struggled.

“At the end of the session there was a bit of confusion while I was talking about that to the team and we didn’t go get weighed in time, so that’s where we got the penalty.

“Overall though, I’m happy with the weekend – I’ve learnt a lot, even outside of the car, technical stuff, setup of the car, I’m learning so much.”

It won’t be long before Grove gets back behind the wheel, with the experienced racer returning to action on July 27-29, once again in Supercup with French outfit Pro GT by Alméras.

This weekend he will tackle yet another new European circuit, with Budapest’s Hungaroring in Hungary playing host to the next round in part two of Grove’s triple header.

“Budapest will be great – now I’ve got used to the team and everything even more, I will be pushing harder next weekend,” added Grove.

“It will be a challenge though, because the Hungaroring is effectively like Monaco, though without the walls so close.

“The heat will be a factor as well, but I’m looking forward to getting out on track again.”

Track action in Budapest kicks off with Free Practice on Friday ahead of Qualifying and the Race with takes place on Sunday.