• Four Mercedes-AMG GT3s racing for the overall win in the Pro Cup 
• Female driver Reema Juffali fights for Bronze Cup title defence
• A total of 16 Mercedes-AMG GT3s entered for the classic in Belgium

With a total of 16 cars, Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing is taking on the title defence in the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. In the 75th running of the Belgian endurance racing classic, the performance and sports car brand from Affalterbach has to prove itself in a large and high-quality field. According to the provisional entry list, 72 GT3 cars have been entered this year – a new record for the race in which points for the Intercontinental GT Challenge are at stake as well. Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing is coming to the world’s biggest GT3 race on a high: in the most recent round of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup, the Le Castellet 1000 Kilometres at the first weekend of June, Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing managed to secure a 1-2.

Four Mercedes-AMG GT3s competing in the Pro Cup 
In the 24-hour race a Spa-Francorchamps, four of the 16 Mercedes-AMG GT3s entered are racing in the Pro Cup and will try to repeat last year’s 1-2. The Pro Cup is limited to professional driver combinations and usually is the category from which the overall winner comes from. Three teams receive works support by Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing. In the Mercedes-AMG GT3 with starting number 87, run by Mercedes-AMG Team AKKODIS ASP, Maximilian Götz (GER) is supporting his two teammates Thomas Drouet (FRA) and Lorenzo Ferrari (ITA). Mercedes-AMG Team AlManar is running the #777 car for Lucas Auer (AUT), Fabian Schiller and Luca Stolz (both GER). Schiller and Stolz convinced with second place in the most recent round at Le Castellet, a result they achieved together with Maro Engel (GER). At Spa, Engel is sharing driving duties in the #999 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM with Mikaël Grenier (CAN) and Daniel Juncadella (ESP). The fourth Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the Pro Cup is run by AKKODIS ASP Team. Raffaele Marciello (SUI) and Jules Gounon (AND) are alternating with Timur Boguslavskiy (FIA). Most recently, the trio won the Le Castellet 1,000 kilometre race.

Saudi Arabian female racing driver Reema Juffali will also be out to defend a title. Last year, she won the Bronze Cup in the 24h of Spa together with her fellow Mercedes-AMG drivers. This year, she will be racing the #83 Theeba Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3. Together with Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver Ralf Aron (EST), Yannick Mettler and Alain Valente (both SUI), she intends to repeat her victory from last year. Another four Mercedes-AMG GT3s have also been entered in the Bronze Cup. They are run by the teams AKKODIS ASP, GetSpeed, Haupt Racing and SunEnergy1 Racing. With Jordan Love (AUS) and Arjun Maini (IND), two Mercedes-AMG Junior Drivers are part of the line up in the #79 Haupt Racing Team Mercedes-AMG GT3. In the Bronze Cup, only one professional racing driver is allowed per car while a silver or bronze rating according to the FIA driver categorisation is required for the other two or three drivers.

A single Mercedes-AMG GT3 has been entered in the Silver Cup: Madpanda Motorsport with driver and team principal Ezequiel Perez Companc (ARG) will run the car with starting number 90. Perez Companc is supported by Magnus Gustavsen (NOR), Alexey Nesov (FIA) and Jesse Salmenautio (FIN). In the Gold Cup, Winward Racing is running the two Mercedes-AMG GT3s that have been entered. Philip Ellis will support Indy Dontje (NED) and Russell Ward (USA) in the #57 car, Mercedes-AMG Junior Driver David Schumacher (GER) is sharing the #157 car with Miklas Born (SUI) and Marius Zug (GER). Three Mercedes-AMG GT3s, run by GetSpeed, CrowdStrike Racing by Riley and Haupt Racing Team, will race in the Pro-Am Cup.

Five of the 16 Mercedes-AMG GT3s will also be competing for championship points in the Intercontinental GT Challenge at the endurance classic. The Mercedes-AMG Teams AlManar and GruppeM are entered in the IGTC, as are Winward Racing's #57, SunEnergy1 Racing's #75 and AKKODIS ASP Team's #88. Ahead of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, Mercedes-AMG leads the drivers', independent and manufacturers' standings in the intercontinental endurance series.

“After the 1-2s last year and in the 6-hour race at Paul Ricard, we feel excellently prepared and hope for a successful running of the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa again for us this year. We are aware that, given the strong opposition, this will not be an easy task. However, we are meticulously preparing for this race and four consecutive pole positions are an impressive proof of the speed the Mercedes-AMG GT3 has at Spa-Francorchamps. We have a large contingent and we are entering an impressive line-up of drivers and teams for the race. Therefore, we are optimistic, but also have the necessary bit of humility as we head to Belgium.”
Stefan Wendl, head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing

“For me, the 24 Hours of Spa are the world’s toughest GT3 race. With over 70 cars on the grid, it is a massive competition. You never get a clear lap, you can never relax, you are always under pressure. When you want to be in contention at the front, you have to push like in qualifying on every lap. Being on the podium already is a massive success. Last year, there was a 1-2 for Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, we want to repeat that. However, the opposition is super strong as we have already seen during the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. It will not be easy, especially as expectations are very high following our 1-2 last year. We will go there and try to do our best. I hope for a nice and successful weekend, and I look forward to the fans and the atmosphere.”  
Maximilian Götz, Mercedes-AMG Team AKKODIS ASP #87

“We have won the 1,000 kilometre race at Le Castellet and we were also very quick in the pre-event test at Spa-Francorchamps, so from that perspective, preparation went very well for us. We are highly motivated to repeat our win from last year. It will not be easy, but we will push and then we will see where we are exactly.”
Raffaele Marciello, AKKODIS ASP Team #88

“We look forward to the 24 Hours of Spa, one of the most important races of the year. We are in a very good position, even though it will be difficult to repeat the 1-2 from last year. But that must be the goal for Mercedes-AMG when you arrive as the title defender. We have already seen this year that the car is successful in different conditions and in various race series. Therefore, we are optimistic, especially after the 1-2 in the most recent round at Le Castellet. We will be racing with a slightly altered line-up, but Lucas Auer will integrate into our team in a good way. We have already had two good days of testing at Spa and our team is strong as we have already proven there. Spa is also one of my favourite races, so my anticipation level is accordingly high.”
Fabian Schiller, Mercedes-AMG Team AlManar #777

“The 24 Hours of Spa rank among the really big highlights of the year. Even though I already won the race last year, another victory would be beautiful, of course. I want to race there a soften as I can and win a couple of times more. But it will surely be the toughest race of the year as there are more than 70 GT3 cars on the grid. It will be very hard, but our team is very strong. Together with Maro and Mikaël, weh ave a very good line-up. I really look forward to racing with my teammates at Spa again.”
Daniel Juncadella, Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM #999

Following the GT3 highlight of the year on the live stream
For the world’s biggest GT3 race, organiser SRO offers a comprehensive live stream service on the internet. The full CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa as well as the Superpole session on Friday evening and the four-segment qualifying on Thursday evening will be broadcast by SRO on its official YouTube channel (@GTWorld). As a result, the sessions can be watched live on all Smart TVs, PCs, laptops and mobile devices. A live stream including live timing is also available on the official GT World Challenge Europe, Intercontinental GT Challenge and CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa websites.

Pole positions by Mercedes-AMG in the Spa 24h:
2022: R. Marciello - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #88 – Mercedes-AMG Team AKKODIS ASP – 2m 16.375s – 184.890 km/h
2021: R. Marciello - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #88 - Mercedes-AMG Team Akka ASP – 2m 17.949s – 182.781 km/h
2020: R. Marciello - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #88 - Mercedes-AMG Team Akka ASP – 2m 32.166s – 165.703 km/h
2019: M. Engel - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #4 - Mercedes-AMG Team BLACK FALCON – 2m 18.588s – 181.938 km/h

Overall wins by Mercedes-AMG in the Spa 24h:
2022: J. Gounon/D. Juncadella/R. Marciello - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #88 – Mercedes-AMG Team AKKODIS ASP
2013: M. Buhk/M. Götz/B. Schneider - Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 #84 - HTP Motorsport

Mercedes-AMG in the 2022 Spa 24h:
1st place: J. Gounon/D. Juncadella/R. Marciello - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #88 – Mercedes-AMG Team AKKODIS ASP
2nd place: M. Götz/S. Schothorst/L. Stolz - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #2 – Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed 
4th place: M. Buhk/M. Engel/M. Grenier - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #55 – Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM 
23rd place: P. Kujala/E. Perez Companc/O. Tunjo/S. Walkinshaw - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #90 - Madpanda Motorsport
26th place (3rd in Gold Cup): E. Cheever/C. Froggatt/J. Hui/L. Spinelli - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #93 - SKY - Tempesta Racing
28th place (2nd in Pro-Am Cup): D. Baumann/P. Ellis/K. Habul/M. Konrad - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #75 - SunEnergy1 - by SPS
31st place: P. Assenheimer/M. Blanchemain/A. Blom/J. Pla - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #44 - GetSpeed
34th place (1st in Bronze Cup): R. Juffali/G. Kurtz/T. Müller/V. Pierburg - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #20 - SPS automotive performance
40th place: L. Auer/L. Ferrari/J. Liebhauser/R. Ward - Mercedes-AMG GT3 #57 - Winward Racing