JULES Gounon shattered the record for a closed-cockpit car at Mount Panorama on Saturday at the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour.
The Andorran GT star, who is pursuing his fourth-straight win in the 12 Hour this weekend, was entrusted with driving duties for Mercedes-AMG’s attempt on the record with a modified version of its GT3 racer.
Among the changes were a larger rear wing with a DRS system pinched from the marque’s old Class 1 DTM machine, plus revised front bodywork and sideskirts to increase downforce.
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The 6.2-litre V8 engine was also allowed to breathe more easily, with the Balance of Performer removed from the air intake and running straight-pipe exhausts, resulting in a glorious and distinctively-different engine note as it circulated the Mountain.
The previous mark was a 1m58.69s, set by Luke Youlden in a Brabham BT62 during the 2019 edition of the 12 Hour.
Gounon and Mercedes-AMG took the record with ease, setting a 1m56.6054s on his second of four runs in Saturday morning’s session, having aborted his first run after clipping the wall at Reid Park.
Watch the full lap in the player below!
