TEAM GruppeM Racing has booked its return to the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour for 2024 as it looks to avenge its narrow defeat last year.
This year’s event will mark its fourth assault on Australia’s International Enduro, with the sponsorship and driver lineup of its Mercedes-AMG GT3 set to be confirmed closer to the event.
In that short period, it has become a regular at the pointy end of the field, claiming two pole positions and two podium finishes.
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It came closest to winning the race outright last year, nabbing the Allan Simonsen Pole Award with a storming ‘zero’ lap from Maro Engel and leading a race-high 144 laps across the day.
However, it’s challenge all went wrong in the closing hours. A mechanical issue with a Balance of Performance data logger in the team’s #999 Mercedes forced it to be replaced at the car’s final pit stop, dropping it down the order.
Engel recovered the lost time but then tangled with eventual winner Jules Gounon while attempting a pass for the lead at The Chase with 45 minutes remaining, earning a pitlane drivethrough penalty.
Despite the late drama, Engel still earnt a third-place finish for he and teammates Raffaele Marciello and Mikael Grenier, just 1.4-seconds behind the winning SunEnergy1 Mercedes.
Founded in the early 2000s, GruppeM has achieved much in its long history including becoming the first Asian team to become an official Mercedes-AMG Performance team.
The team has won the Suzuka 10 Hours and the 2019 FIA GT3 World Cup at Macau, and recently added victory in the 2023 Gulf 12 Hours to its CV. The Repco Bathurst 12 Hour takes place at Mount Panorama on 16-18 February 2024.
