Three first time winners at Bathurst 12 Hour

SRO

Feb 15

Maro Engel, on his tenth attempt, Maxime Martin and Mikael Grenier got their first win at Mount Panorama with the #888 Mercedes AMG Team GMR taking victory at the Bathurst 12 Hour.

From left to right: Mikael Grenier, Maro Engel and Maxime Martin celebrating victory

Engel, Martin and Grenier first win at Bathurst

Mercedes-AMG Motorsport has made a successful start to the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC). The #888 Mercedes-AMG Team GMR secured overall victory in a thrilling final phase of the Bathurst 12 Hour title despite starting 29th on the grid. The team executed a prefect fuel saving strategy with Engel, Martin and Grenier driving faultless during 12 hours race, reduced to 11 after a nearly one-hour red flag stoppage with 3-and-a-half hour to go.

📷© IGTC. #888 Mercedes-AMG Team GMR Mercedes crossing checkered flag first.

On the last restart, with 39 minutes remaining, leading van der Linde (#32 BMW) and Gounon (#75 Mercedes) made contact enabling Maxime Martin to sweep through taking the lead in the #888 Mercedes-AMG Team GMR Mercedes.

For Maro Engel, Mikaël Grenier and Maxime Martin, it is their first victory at the Mount Panorama Circuit, for Mercedes-AMG, this is its fourth victory in the endurance classic after 2013, 2022 and 2023.

For Maxime Martin, this is his first victory as a Mercedes-AMG Performance driver - he has been driving for the brand since 2025.

Maro Engel, Mercedes-AMG Team GMR #888: “I've been waiting a really long time for this victory. We had that little bit of luck on our side at the decisive moments. Now, on my tenth attempt, it's finally worked out for me, and it feels great! I can only say a huge thank you to my teammates. Mik and Maxime did a fantastic job, the Mercedes-AMG Team GMR gave it their all and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 also performed superbly. I'm proud of what we've achieved here."
Mikaël Grenier, Mercedes-AMG Team GMR #888: “A great result for us, especially considering we started from 29th on the grid. But we worked well, had a great strategy and were able to save a lot of fuel throughout the race. Everyone involved did a great job. Perfect pit stops, no mistakes, the car crossed the finish line without a scratch – I'm really very proud.“
Maxime Martin, Mercedes-AMG Team GMR #888: “It was a tough race with a lot of strategy, numerous safety car phases and close battles. But at the end of the day, we're in first place. It's an incredible feeling. It's the first time we've won here with the team at Bathurst, and it's my first victory for Mercedes-AMG. I don't think there's any better place for it than Bathurst.” Source: Mercedes-AMG

High Class Racing Porsche second

#86 High Class Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R end second overall and win Bronze class with Kerong Li, Anders Fjordbach and Dorian Boccolacci.

BMW Team WRT third

2025 IGTC Champion BMW completes the podium with #46 BMW M4 GT3 Evo driven by Raffaele Marciello, Augusto Farfus and Valentino Rossi, one year after Team WRT’s sensational 1-2 finish. The #46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO managed to stay clear of all incidents and was part of the leading group from the very beginning. Ultimately, the pace wasn’t quite enough to secure a second consecutive win for Team WRT in Australia.

Raffaele Marciello (#46 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Team WRT, 3rd place): “It was definitely a tough race. We were never the fastest car, but we tried our best. We were close to the lead several times but never really had the win in sight. We had to push all the time, and in the end, we secured third place. On one hand, it’s a bit frustrating because I’ve been on the Bathurst podium many times but never won. On the other hand, it’s a great podium with important points for the championship so we have reason to be happy.” Source: BMW Group

#55 Audi fourth

#55 Jamec Racing/Team MPC Audi RB LMS GT3 Evo with B.Schumacher/C.Haase/W.Brown ends fifth.

#89 BMW fifth

The Team KRC #89 BMW M4 GT3 EVO celebrates a sensational Bathurst debut with fifth place overall and second place on the podium in the Bronze class with Tony Ruan, Maxime Oosten and Max Hesse. Team KRC was competing for the first time on the highly demanding Mount Panorama Circuit and delivered a sensational race. Hesse, Oosten, and Cunfan remained unfazed even after suffering front-end damage and repairs, mounting an impressive comeback that took them to fifth overall and second place on the Bronze category podium.

Max Hesse (#89 BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Team KRC, 2nd place Bronze class): “It’s really hard to put it all into words. Ruan and Maxime did a great job in the first two stints. Everything was going according to plan. In the third stint, we made a small driving error. We had significant damage to the car, no performance, and had to wait three hours for a yellow flag period. At that point, we thought the race had slipped away from us but the team did a top job, changed the front end – and for the last three hours, it was full attack. Of course, we would have liked to win, but as a Bronze car, to finish fifth overall and second in the category on our debut, we can be proud of that.” Source: BMW Group