Ten Mercedes-AMG GT3s headline Bathurst 12 hour as brand targets overall victory
Published on Jan 23, 2026 at 2:39 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson
Last updated on Jan 23, 2026 at 2:39 AM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Molly Davidson
The Bathurst 12 Hour is back for 2026, and the grid is bigger than ever.
Among the entries, one brand stands out immediately.
Mercedes-AMG will field 10 GT3 cars at Mount Panorama – more than any other manufacturer.
And six of them are headed straight into the Pro class.
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Why Mercedes-AMG is flooding the Pro class at the Bathurst 12 hour
10 cars on the grid is eye-catching.
But six in Pro is the real story.
Mercedes-AMG isn’t hedging its bets across classes or aiming for subtle consistency.
It’s loading the fastest, most competitive category and backing its customer racing program to handle the pressure.
That choice makes sense given recent form – the brand has already taken overall wins at Bathurst in 2013, 2022, and 2023.
More Pro cars means more strategic flexibility.
Different pit cycles, different tire calls, and different reactions to safety cars all become possible when you’re not relying on a single lead entry.
Over 12 hours at Mount Panorama Circuit, that spread can be the difference between staying in the fight and watching it slip away.
And the driver depth backs that up.
Kenny Habul returns alongside Jules Gounon and Luca Stolz after finishing second and third overall in recent editions.
While Maro Engel – who already holds the Bathurst qualifying lap record – leads the #888 entry.
Tigani Motorsport stepping up to Performance Team status adds another layer, joined by established outfits Craft-Bamboo Racing and GMR.
It’s a lineup built for options, not just outright speed.
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When more Pro cars makes winning harder, not easier
Bathurst has always been unpredictable, and in 2026 the Pro class is more crowded than ever.
Because of that, running six Mercedes-AMG GT3s doesn’t make the race easier.
It actually makes it more complex.
First, the track itself never gives you a break.
Traffic is constant, safety cars wipe out hard-earned gaps in seconds, and night running turns small mistakes into big losses.
If one car gets caught in the wrong place, the impact rarely stays limited to just that entry.
Then there’s the internal challenge.
Although the Mercedes-AMG cars share data and pace, they’re still racing each other.
Strategy windows can overlap, pit calls can collide, and when something goes wrong, it can affect several cars from the same brand at once.
That’s the trade-off Mercedes-AMG is choosing.
More cars increase the chances of having one in the fight late.
At the same time, they increase the risk of being hurt by a single moment.
As the season opener of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, Bathurst isn’t just about winning one race.
It sets the tone for the year.
Mercedes-AMG is betting that strong execution across six Pro cars will outweigh the added risk.
Because at the Bathurst 12 Hour, depth only works if you can manage it.
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With roles at TEXT Journal, Bowen Street Press, Onya Magazine, and Swine Magazine on her CV, Molly joined Supercar Blondie in June 2025 as a Junior Content Writer. Having experience across copyediting, proofreading, reference checking, and production, she brings accuracy, clarity, and audience focus to her stories spanning automotive, tech, and lifestyle news.
