One car, two endurance race achievements: from the Nürburgring podium to the overall win at Spa

When asking key team members and drivers what matters in a 24-hour race, one usually gets the same answer: “Making it to the finish”. As technology and material are under a heavy load in these endurance race events, it only rarely happens that the races can be completed without any damage to the car. And it is even more unusual when the very same car, in this case the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with chassis number C190 AMG GT3-22.391, makes it to the overall win in the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa right after having claimed second place in the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.

The race-winning Mercedes-AMG GT3 was completed on 28th April, around one month prior to its debut at the demanding Nordschleife. There, the car, run by Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed with starting number 3, was on the grid in the pink livery of Mercedes-AMG Partner BWT. Adam Christodoulou (GBR), Maximilian Götz and Fabian Schiller (both GER) drove an outstanding race from 17th place on the grid with the brand-new GT3 and were rewarded for their efforts with second place, without incurring any noteworthy damage on the car during this recovery drive.

As a result, the foundation was laid to send chassis number GT3-22.391 once again into a race around the clock. After 5,191 kilometres that were completed at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, the reliable technology of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 just required minor regular rebuilds. Prior to the race at Spa, the obligatory service after 5,000 kilometres was carried out in Affalterbach. This includes the replacement of the fuel, air and oil filters. Moreover, only the transmission oil and engine oil were changed.

The standard preparation procedure for the next upcoming race include a brake calliper service, bleeding of the brakes and the replaced clutch as well as the replacement of the skid blocks on the floor section. Of course, chassis number GT3-22.391 was comprehensively cleaned and equipped with new glasses on the additional headlights. On top of that, the exhaust system, the rear wing and the restrictors were adapted to the requirements by SRO for events that are part of the GT World Challenge.

With a new wrapping, Mercedes-AMG Team AKKODIS ASP eventually ran the C190 AMG GT3-22.391 from 28th July during the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa. There, Raffaele Marciello (SUI) put the young “used car” on pole position straight away. Two days and 4,454 kilometres later, together with Jules Gounon (FRA) and Daniel Juncadella (ESP), he was able to celebrate the long-awaited victory for Mercedes-AMG at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. At the end, the margin over the fellow-Mercedes-AMG drivers in second place was 40 seconds.

Two outings, two historic endurance race results: having completed 9,645 kilometres, the successful GT3 is now entering its early retirement. Next to other historic cars, the C190 AMG GT3-22.391 will get its own place in the Mercedes-AMG collection. 

Stefan Wendl, head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing: “Many things have to align for being so successful in two of the world’s most demanding endurance races with one and the same car. But without any doubt, we have laid the foundation with the concept of our Mercedes-AMG GT3, aimed at endurance racing qualities combined with long rebuild intervals. These two achievements with one and the same car also underline our proven technology and the maturity of our race cars. Our thanks for providing this proof therefore not only go out to the six drivers who drove fast yet carefully. In particular, we have to thank our engineers and mechanics at the track and in Affalterbach. Had it not been for them, our Mercedes-AMG GT3 couldn’t have demonstrated this reliability for which it is admired all over the world.”