Mercedes-AMG is ready for the Spa 24-hour race (26-31 July). With the preparation finished, the teams BLACK FALCON, HTP Motorsport and AKKA ASP are eager to take the start. In total, eight Mercedes-AMG GT3 with top-class driver combinations, four of them with extended AMG support, will be taking on the challenge at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. In the process, teams and drivers have their eyes firmly set on one goal: after the historic quadruple victory in the Nürburgring 24-hour race, they want to add the next chapter to the success story of the Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The countdown for the Spa 24-hour race is running. Among the Mercedes-AMG teams and drivers, anticipation for the endurance event in the Ardennes region is huge. In the past few weeks, the AMG teams that are taking part in the race have been preparing for the next season highlight with numerous race participations and test sessions.
Two months after its victory in the Nürburgring 24-hour race, BLACK FALCON intends to claim the next major endurance racing success for Mercedes-AMG. To do so, the team will be running one Mercedes-AMG GT3 with extended AMG support as well as two customer sports cars at Spa. Participation in Blancpain Endurance Series races, the Blancpain Endurance test day and two guest appearances in the British GT Championship provided valuable experience in preparation for the Spa 24-hour race.
With the #84 and #86 Mercedes-AMG GT3, the AMG-Team HTP Motorsport has two aces up its sleeve at Spa. Moreover, the team is running one additional customer sports car. Prior to the race, the outfit used the test day at Spa, among others, for specific data and set-up tests. Participations in the Blancpain GT Series, at the Nürburgring and the 24-hour race at the Paul Ricard circuit also were part of the preparation process.
AKKA ASP is celebrating a premiere at Spa: the event at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps marks the maiden 24-hour race with the #88 Mercedes-AMG GT3 for the AMG Performance Team. Additionally, AKKA ASP is running a customer car with the #89 Mercedes-AMG GT3. The French team has many years of previous experience at Spa. To prepare for this year’s running of the Belgian endurance racing classic, the team used its participations in the Blancpain GT Series as well as the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup at the end of June.
Sean Paul Breslin, BLACK FALCON team principal: “Victory in the Nürburgring 24 Hours and our meticulous preparation are making us very positive when looking ahead at Spa. It is an advantage that the majority of our drivers are running the full Blancpain Endurance Series season with us. They are able to give us valuable information for the optimum set-up. At Spa, we want to achieve the maximum both in the PRO class and in the PRO-AM category.”
Norbert Brückner, HTP Motorsport team principal: “After the Nürburgring, the Spa 24-hour race is the second most important event of the season for us, and our motivation to score another top result here is accordingly high. We are taking the start with a very good driver line-up, a mix of young and ambitious drivers and drivers with a vast race experience. Our goal is clear: we want to make it onto the podium with the best performance.”
Jérôme Policand, AKKA ASP team principal: “We are highly motivated going into the Spa 24-hour race. Especially the Blancpain Endurance Series race at Paul Ricard was a very important element in our preparation. In this race, all drivers were also able to rack up laps in the dark. We are aiming at a top five result with the #88 Mercedes-AMG GT3 and a podium finish in the PRO-AM class for our customer sports car.”
Jochen Bitzer, head of AMG Customer Sports: “We are all really looking forward to the Spa 24 Hours. For Mercedes-AMG, this race is historic territory: it was here that the Mercedes-Benz 300 SEL 6.8 AMG set the company’s first milestone in motorsport back in 1971. 45 years later, eight Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be competing to build on this heritage, and the conditions for them to do so are excellent. All teams are very well prepared and highly motivated. Now, the action can start!”
Mercedes-AMG GT3 driver line-up at a glance*:
Nr. /
Class Team Drivers (in alphabetical order)
#00 /
PRO AMG-Team BLACK FALCON (Linkin Park Design)
Yelmer Buurman (NED), Maro Engel (GER),
Bernd Schneider (GER)
#56 / PRO-AM BLACK FALCON Abdulaziz Al Faisal (KSA), Daniel Juncadella (ESP), Oliver Morley (GBR), Miguel Toril (ESP)
#57 /
PRO BLACK FALCON Adam Christodoulou (GBR), Hubert Haupt (GER), Andreas Simonsen (SWE)
#84 /
PRO AMG-Team HTP Motorsport Dominik Baumann (AUT), Maximilian Buhk (GER),
Jazeman Jaafar (MAS)
#85 /
PRO HTP Motorsport Luciano Bacheta (GBR), Indy Dontje (NED),
Clemens Schmid (AUT)
#86 /
PRO AMG-Team HTP Motorsport Maximilian Götz (GER), Thomas Jäger (GER),
Gary Paffett (GBR)
#88 /
PRO AMG-Team AKKA ASP Felix Rosenqvist (SWE), Tristan Vautier (FRA),
Renger van der Zande (NED)
#89 /
PRO-AM AKKA ASP Laurent Cazenave (FRA), Michael Lyons (GBR), Daniele Perfetti (SUI), Morgan Moullin-Traffort (FRA)
* subject to changes at short notice