Die Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) feierte im Jahr 2016 ihre Premiere und gilt als eine der prestigeträchtigsten Meisterschaften im GT-Bereich. The calendar traditionally consists of a selection of internationally renowned endurance races held on different continents. Jules Gounon celebrated winning the drivers' championship in 2023, bringing the coveted trophy to Affalterbach for the third time in the history of the racing series. We also successfully defended our title in the manufacturers' championship.
Further information on the organiser’s homepage.
2024 INTERCONTINENTAL GT CHALLENGE
In 2024, the Intercontinental GT Challenge includes four rounds on three continents. Among them, for the first time, the iconic 24-hour race at the Nürburgring. Further race venues are Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
2024 RACE CALENDAR*:
Circuit
Date
Event
Mount Panorama Circuit / Australia
16 – 18 February
Repco Bathurst 12 Hour
Nürburgring-Nordschleife / Germany
30 May – 2 June
ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps / Belgium
27 June – 30 June
CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa
Indianapolis Motor Speedway / USA
4 – 6 October
Indianapolis 8 Hour Presented by AWS
*subject to last-minute changes.
Indianapolis 8 Hour
The Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) season finale will take place at the legendary Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2 to 5 October. At the fifth edition of the Indianapolis 8 Hours presented by AWS, we are aiming for our second overall victory after 2022. Last year, our Customer Racing cars took a double podium at the world-famous Brickyard, finishing second and third. This year's line-up includes five teams competing in the PRO and PRO-AM classes with a Mercedes-AMG GT3. Among them are two Performance Teams. Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing will be joined by Mercedes-AMG Team Lone Star Racing. Álex Palou will be among the 15 drivers for the first time. The three-time IndyCar Series champion, who won his third title in mid-September, has signed an exclusive contract for the Indianapolis 8 Hour.
The endurance race in Indiana will be the IGTC finale for the first time. As defending champions, we are third in the manufacturers' championship. Luca Stolz is fifth in the drivers' championship after two podiums out of three races. Prince Jefri Ibrahim is second in the Independent Cup for bronze-rated drivers.
Mercedes-AMG line-up at the 2024 Indianapolis 8 Hour*:
No.
Class
Team
Drivers
4
PRO
Mercedes-AMG Team Lone Star Racing
Álex Palou (ESP)
Fabian Schiller (GER)
Luca Stolz (GER)
75
PRO-AM
SunEnergy1 Racing
Lucas Auer (AUT)
Kenny Habul (AUS)
Jayden Ojeda (AUS)
91
PRO-AM
Regulator Racing
Jeff Burton (USA)
Philip Ellis (SUI)
Elias Seppänen (FIN)
130
PRO
Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing
Maro Engel (GER)
Jules Gounon (AND)
Mikaël Grenier (CAN)
888
PRO-AM
Triple Eight JMR
Prince Jefri Ibrahim (MAS)
Jordan Love (AUS)
Arjun Maini (IND)
*subject to last-minute changes.
24 HOURS OF SPA
The 76th CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa took place between 27 and 30 June. More information on the centenary edition can be found here.
24H NÜRBURGRING
The ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring held its 52nd edition this year and was part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge for the first time. The Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Teams were represented by six Mercedes-AMG GT3s from three teams at the season highlight on the Nordschleife from 30 May to 2 June. Poor weather conditions with heavy fog stopped the racing action on Saturday night and caused a 14-hour interruption. After an obligatory restart behind the Safety Car on Sunday afternoon, the #4 Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN finished third in the IGTC classification. The #3 sister car also scored championship points in eighth place. Due to the shortened race distance, only half points were awarded for the classification of the intercontinental endurance series. After the second of four stops on the calendar, Mercedes-AMG holds second place in the manufacturers' championship. Luca Stolz also occupies second position in the drivers' standings, Jules Gounon is third.
More information on the 52nd ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring can be found here.
RESULT, MERCEDES-AMG 24H NÜRBURGRING 2024*:
No.
Class
Car
Team
Drivers
PIC
POS
4
SP9 PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN
Maximilian Götz (GER), Daniel Juncadella (ESP), Luca Stolz (GER)
3.
3.
3
SP9 PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN
Michele Beretta (ITA), Frank Bird (GBR), Arjun Maini (IND), Jusuf Owega (GER)
7.
8.
11
SP9 PRO-AM
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Schnitzelalm Racing
Jay Mo Härtling (GER), Kenneth Heyer (GER), Marcel Marchewicz (GER)
2.
10.
6
SP9 PRO-AM
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Team ADVAN x HRT
Ralf Aron (EST), Dennis Fetzer (GER), Hubert Haupt (GER), Salman Owega (GER)
3.
12.
8
SP9 PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed
Lucas Auer (AUT), Adam Christodoulou (GBR), Philip Ellis (SUI), Mikaël Grenier (CAN)
DNF
DNF
130
SP9 PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed
Maro Engel (GER), Jules Gounon (AND), Fabian Schiller (GER)
DNF
DNF
*excerpt subject to confirmation by the organiser
BATHURST 12 HOUR
On 18 February, the Repco Bathurst 12 Hour traditionally got the new Intercontinental GT Challenge season underway. Our Customer Racing Teams took on the demanding endurance race in Australia with a line-up of nine Mercedes-AMG GT3s and one Mercedes-AMG GT4, and they did so with success. Next to second place in the overall classification, there were four class podium results including victory in the GT4 class.
After a total distance of 275 laps, Jules Gounon, Kenny Habul and Luca Stolz took the chequered flag in second place of the field with a total of 30 competitors, driving the #75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of SunEnergy1 Racing. A mere two and a half seconds down on the first-place finisher, the team only just missed out on a historic third victory Down Under.
In the C-GT4 category, Team Nineteen had double reason to celebrate. Daniel Bilski, Adam Christodoulou and Mark Griffith claimed class honours with the Mercedes-AMG GT4. Moreover, in qualifying, Adam established a new lap record for GT4 cars on the 6.213 kilometres long Mount Panorama Circuit.
The strong performance by our teams was completed by second and third place in the A-PRO AM category for Heart of Racing by SPS and Triple Eight JMR as well as third place by Supabarn Supermarkets/Tigani Motorsport in the A-SILVER classification.
Next to the achievements in the IGTC competition, Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver Jules Gounon also accounted for a historic highlight in Australia. Driving a specially modified Mercedes-AMG GT3, the Bathurst record winner completed a lap of the Mount Panorama Circuit in 1m 56.605s. As a result, he set a new track record for GT cars.
Result, Mercedes-AMG Bathurst 12 Hour 2024*:
No.
Class
Car
Team
Drivers
PIC
POS
75
A-PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
SunEnergy1 Racing
Jules Gounon (AND)
Kenny Habul (AUS)
Luca Stolz (GER)2.
2.
888
A-PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
National Storage Racing
Will Brown (AUS)
Broc Feeney (AUS)
Mikaël Grenier (CAN)6.
6.
222
A-PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Scott Taylor Motorsport
Craig Lowndes (AUS)
Thomas Randle (AUS)
Cameron Waters (AUS)7.
7.
130
A-PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing
Maro Engel (GER)
Felipe Fraga (BRA)
David Reynolds (AUS)8.
8.
27
A-PRO AM
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Heart of Racing by SPS
Ross Gunn (GBR)
Ian James (GBR)
Alex Riberas (ESP)2.
10.
88
A-PRO AM
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Triple Eight JMR
Prince Jefri Ibrahim (MAS)
Jordan Love (AUS)
Jamie Whincup (AUS)3.
11.
47
A-SILVER
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Supabarn Supermarkets/Tigani Motorsport
James Koundouris (AUS)
Theo Koundouris (AUS)
David Russell (AUS)
Jonathon Webb (AUS)3.
15.
48
A-PRO AM
Mercedes-AMG GT3
MMotorsport
Jack Le Brocq (AUS)
Justin McMillan (AUS)
Garth Walden (AUS)
Glen Wood (AUS)5.
16.
19
C-GT4
Mercedes-AMG GT4
Team Nineteen
Daniel Bilski (AUS)
Adam Christodoulou (GBR)
Mark Griffith (AUS)1.
17.
77
A-PRO
Mercedes-AMG GT3
Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing
Maximilian Götz (GER)
Daniel Juncadella (ESP)
Jayden Ojeda (AUS)DNF
DNF
*excerpt subject to confirmation by the organiser
2023 – Title defence double
In the 2023 IGTC season we achieved the successful title defence in the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships. With SunEnergy1 Racing's victory at the season opener in Australia, our Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Teams got off to a perfect start right away. At the following event in Kyalami, South Africa, SunEnergy1 Racing celebrated the class win in the Pro-Am category of the 9-hour race. In the summer, the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa was the highlight on the IGTC calendar. At the Ardennes roller coaster in Belgium, AKKODIS ASP Team secured second place in the overall classification, while SunEnergy1 Racing was victorious once again in the Pro-Am classification. The events in North America and Asia were marked by success as well. Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing and Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM Racing made it a double podium success with second and third place in the Indianapolis 8 Hour. In addition, CrowdStrike by Riley achieved another Pro-Am class win. The Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi concluded the season with crowning glory. Victory for Mercedes-AMG Team GruppeM and third place for Mercedes-AMG Team 2 Seas enabled us to seal the manufacturers’ title in the finale. With a win and three further podium finishes, Mercedes-AMG Performance Driver Jules Gounon claimed the drivers' championship and again brought the title to Affalterbach.
2022 - Intercontinental masterclass
With the Bathurst 12 Hour, the IGTC got its seventh season underway. Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing achieved a historic success with the first clean sweep of the top three for a single manufacturer. SunEnergy1 Racing won the race in New South Wales ahead of Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing and Triple Eight Race Engineering. With a 1-2 in the TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa, the second race of the season was also very successful: The Mercedes-AMG Team AKKODIS ASP secured victory in the world’s biggest GT3 race. Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed achieved second place. Bathurst-winning SunEnergy1 Racing finished in second place in the Pro-Am category. The successful streak in the season continued during the Indianapolis 8 Hour, where the #77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 crossed the finish line in first. A Pro-Am class podium for SunEnergy1 Racing by AKKODIS ASP and a runners-up finish in the Am class by DXDT Racing rounded out the strong race weekend. By virtue of these achievements, Mercedes-AMG already won the title in the M anufacturers’ standings for the first time even prior to the season finale. In the series’ finale, the Gulf 12 Hours, it was SunEnergy1 Racing that secured the Pro-Am class win once again. Following victories at Spa and Indianapolis and his podium result at Bathurst whereas Daniel Juncadella was deservedly crowned the 2022 Drivers’ champion.
2021 - Victorious finish to the season
In 2021, the Intercontinental GT Challenge also played a central role for Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing. Following a rather chequered start in the Spa-Francorchamps 24-hour race where the #89 Mercedes-AMG GT3 run by Mercedes-AMG Team AKKA ASP finished in the top ten, the second round of the season at Indianapolis in the US was considerably more successful. Timur Boguslavskiy, Raffaele Marciello and Daniel Juncadella drove their #89 Mercedes-AMG GT3 to a strong second place while the #75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Mikaël Grenier, Kenny Habul and Martin Konrad secured victory in the Pro-Am class at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With an outstanding overall win and an important class podium finish, the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Teams concluded the 2021 IGTC season in a successful way during the Joburg Kyalami 9 Hour that was postponed to February due to the travel restrictions that were in place in December.