Within a week of claiming the 2014 Australian GT title, Melbourne’s Richard Muscat was already making plans for his next international assault, the Victorian announcing that he will rejoin the successful Black Falcon Mercedes Benz SLS team, for the forthcoming Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi [13 December].

It won’t be Muscat’s first international foray this year, nor his maiden run with the Black Falcon team, although this time around he will be paired with Hubert Haupt and Aziz Al Faisal in a ‘Pro’ class car, the sister car to 2013 event winners Bernd Schneider, Jeroen Bleekemolen and Khaled Al Qubaisi.

Both of Muscat’s driving partners have competed with the Black Falcon team this year, so are well versed with the car, much like Muscat who was one of the pace-setters with the team at the Spa 24-Hour race earlier this year ahead of his championship winning run in the Erebus Motorsport SLS AMG in Australia.

“I’m really excited to be driving for Black Falcon again at Abu Dhabi,” Muscat said.

“It will be nice to be in an outright ‘Pro’ car this time and have the opportunity to go after the win. It’s also great to be back in the same team as Bernd Schneider and Jeroen Bleekemolen, two of the best GT drivers in the world – it will be great to work with those guys again and gain some more valuable experience at that level.”

Muscat was the standout performer in the recently completed Australian GT Championship, showing at the final round in New Zealand that he was capable of matching the best drivers in Australia, after going head-to-head with competitors the caliber of Craig Lowndes, Steven Richards, Garth Tander and Shane Van Gisbergen.

“There was a lot of external pressure going into the final round of the Australian championship on a circuit I’ve never seen before, but to come in against the odds and defeat some of the best drivers in Australia on a level playing field was fantastic experience and experience I hope to use when I get to Abu Dhabi for the first time.

“For me – looking forward – any experience like this against the best drivers in the world in this class of car is fantastic. I would like to thank Black Falcon for the trust they’ve put in me to join them once again – like the Erebus Motorsport team that gave me the Australian title – they really are a world class team.

“I also have to thank the Erebus Motorsport family, Barry Ryan, John Morriss from the GT3 Factory and my own fantastic family and group of supporters for allowing me to continue to follow my dream, without their support none of this would be possible.”