GT - Grenier and Schiller promoted by Mercedes, Aron new junior

Mercedes-AMG expands its driver line-up for the 2023 season, putting itself in place for the upcoming challenges of the still fresh season. Compared to the previous year, the line-up of the performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach has increased to 18 established drivers and up-and-coming talents. In the process, Mercedes-AMG has opted for eleven seasoned Performance Drivers, two Experts and five Junior Drivers. Between them, they support the Customer and Performance Teams during race activities at all continents during the new season.

Mercedes-AMG to enter the new season with eleven Performance Drivers

Driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3, the Performance Drivers will again be racing in the most relevant national and international race series. Mikaël Grenier (CAN) and Fabian Schiller (GER) extend the already impressive driver selection of Lucas Auer (AUT), Philip Ellis (SUI), Maro Engel, Maximilian Götz (both GER), Jules Gounon (AND), Thomas Jäger (GER), Daniel Juncadella (ESP), Raffaele Marciello (SUI) and Luca Stolz (GER). Both Grenier and Schiller already were Junior Drivers with Mercedes-AMG in the past season and were able to put themselves forward for the Performance Driver selection with consistently strong achievements.

During the season, all Performance Drivers will primarily be racing in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the DTM, the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Nürburgring Endurance Series and during the famous ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring. As part of his car development duties, Thomas Jäger will be in action during the 24h Nürburgring and the 24H SERIES. On top of that, he remains sporting director in DTM.

Additional focus on DTM and IMSA

A particular focus for this year is on winning championship titles in DTM and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship. In DTM, Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing has opted for three driver pairings, each consisting of one Performance and one Junior Driver. DTM runner-up Lucas Auer will be part of the field in the prestigious sprint race series again this year, racing for Mercedes-AMG Team WINWARD together with David Schumacher (GER). For the second consecutive year, Mercedes-AMG Team HRT is running Luca Stolz and Junior Driver Arjun Maini (IND). Newcomer and Mercedes-AMG Junior Jusuf Owega (GER) will be making his DTM debut with Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf alongside Maro Engel.

Philip Ellis, Maximilian Götz, Jules Gounon, Mikaël Grenier, Daniel Juncadella, Raffaele Marciello and Fabian Schiller will be competing in various rounds of the North American IMSA series. They are to contribute to bringing the coveted trophy for the best IMSA GT driver of 2023 to Affalterbach. This project already got off to a promising start during the Rolex 24 At Daytona where Performance Drivers Engel, Gounon and Juncadealla managed to win the GTD Pro class for WeatherTech Racing.

Next to the aforementioned race series, Mercedes-AMG Performance Drivers Jules Gounon and Raffaele Marciello are also regular drivers in the United Kingdom. While Gouon already shone in British GT last year, Marciello is in his maiden season in the UK this year. With Maximilian Götz and Luca Stolz, two drivers from the Mercedes-AMG driver line-up head out to the circuits in Asia this year where they will be competing for honours in GT World Challenge Asia. Junior Driver Jordan Love (AUS) will be racing in his domestic GT World Challenge Australia competition.

Mercedes-AMG relies on Christodoulou and Morad as Experts

North American racing specialist Daniel Morad (CAN) will be representing Mercedes-AMG during the seven GT World Challenge America race weekends in 2023. The Canadian, who additionally will compete in the Intercontinental GT Challenge at Indianapolis, is one of two Experts in the Mercedes-AMG driver line-up next to Adam Christodoulou (GBR). As a Nordschleife stalwart, Christodoulou will primarily compete in races in the “Green Hell” like in previous years already. Both drivers have comprehensive expertise in their respective areas and therefore, it is logical for them to focus on a programme in which they are able to make the best use of their qualities.

Five talented young drivers boost Mercedes-AMG driver line-up

For 2023, the many well-known names are accompanied by five up-and-coming Junior Drivers again who will be able to gather experience at the highest level in motorsport with the Mercedes-AMG GT3. Arjun Maini (25/IND) and David Schumacher (21/GER) will race in DTM again in 2023 as well as in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup. Maini’s programme, meanwhile, also includes additional participations in the Nürburgring Endurance Series and the 24-hour race at the Nordschleife. New signings Ralf Aron (25/EST), Jordan Love (24/AUS) and Jusuf Owega (20/GER) complement the ranks of the Junior Drivers.

In spite of his still young age, Jusuf Owega already has extensive experience in motorsport. The 20-year-old already raced in ADAC GT4 Germany, ADAC GT Masters and GT World Challenge Europe and caught the attention with strong achievements. This year, he will be racing in DTM for Mercedes-AMG Team Landgraf.

Ralf Aron is another new addition to the Mercedes-AMG driver line-up for 2023. The Estonian mainly raced in single-seaters before and, among others, secured a third-place finish in the FIA F3 World Cup at Macau in the process. Following some years in team management during which he was able to extend his qualities with impressions from outside the cockpit, Aron is making his comeback at the race track with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 in ADAC GT Masters, GT World Challenge Europe and the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring.

Young Australian Jordan Love already racked up plenty of racing mileage with the Mercedes-AMG GT3. Among others, he successfully raced in the highly competitive GT World Challenge Europe for various Mercedes-AMG customer teams in the past two seasons and will be showing his abilities in the series in 2023 again. Moreover, Love will be racing in GT World Challenge Australia, the Nürburgring Endurance Series and the ADAC TotalEnergies 24h Nürburgring.

For 2023, we have added a few talented and fast guys to our strong driver line-up that has delivered undisputed top-notch achievements once again in the past season. With Ralf Aron, Jordan Love and Jusuf Owega, we welcome three new up-and-coming members into the World’s Fastest Family, all of them having proven their talent already and now able to continue their development as Junior Drivers at Mercedes-AMG. As a result, we are confident to be an in excellent position for the new season and we are looking forward to thrilling motorsport moments and plenty of joint success.

Stefan Wendl, head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing

I am delighted to take on the season together with old and new colleagues. Mercedes-AMG has put together a fantastic and competitive driver line-up. Together, we want to secure many wins and championship titles again this year and represent the Mercedes-AMG brand in the best possible way. As an old hand, my ambition is to lead the way and support our young drivers in particular.

Maro Engel, Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver