GruppeM has been a constant victory threat since it first descended on Mount Panorama in 2019, only missing the 2022 race since then due to travel restrictions.
It finished third in 2019 and again last year, although it was that 2023 race when the squad was denied victory in cruel circumstances.
A faulty data logger caused Car #999 to ultimately lose the race lead when it was replaced during the final pit stop cycle.
It was then issued a drive-through penalty when Maro Engel’s attempt to recover first position resulted in him onloading the SunEnergy1 Mercedes-AMG at The Chase.
The dramas were a case of what could have been for GruppeM, which operates from Hong Kong and Germany, after Engel had qualified on pole position the afternoon prior.
GruppeM in fact has a perfect record of crossing the Mount Panorama finish line in the top three, although second place in 2020 became sixth when a time penalty was applied because the car’s engine was not switched off at its final pit stop.
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Last year, despite the drive-through relegating Engel to third, he finished just 1.4s behind the victorious SunEnergy1 car.
Drivers for the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour are yet to be confirmed although Raffaele Marciello, who delivered the team’s first pole in the event in 2019 and was there in 2020 and 2023 also, will not be part of the crew,
The Swiss-Italian has left the Mercedes-AMG stable to become a BMW factory driver, in time for the beginning of its LMDh programme in the World Endurance Championship courtesy of WRT, which has won the Bathurst 12 Hour as an Audi squad.
GruppeM’s credits include victory in the 2019 Suzuka 10 Hours, 2019 FIA GT3 World Cup in Macau, and 2023 Gulf 12 Hours.
The 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour takes place from February 16-18.
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