In the world’s toughest GT races, sometimes strength in numbers is what’s required to come out on top. At least that’s what the higher-ups at Mercedes-AMG will hope is the case this weekend when its fleet of 10 AMG GT3 EVOs takes on Mount Panorama in the 2026 running of the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Sunday’s race in New South Wales holds so much promise. With a 35-car entry featuring 10 manufacturers in the GT3 ranks, it’s set to be the most hotly-contested edition of the Australian enduro since the pandemic. For that reason, the Affalterbach-based manufacturer, a two-time winner of the Intercontinental GT Challenge manufacturer’s crown, is more keen than ever start the 2026 IGTC campaign with a victory.
“We’re trying to dominate with numbers!” Mercedes-AMG’s customer racing boss Stefan Wendl tells DSC. “At the end, you only need one car that is fast and goes 12 hours, but having 10 cars makes us proud. It’s possible because of the success we’ve had in the race in the past.
“In the last five years, we’ve been on the podium in every race, and in the last four years with SunEnergy1 (now 75 Express), and we’re desperate to win it again as it feels like a long time since 2023!
“It’s a difficult race to win, but it’s a race we want to always be a part of. I’m really happy to have support from Australian teams and Supercars drivers, like Scott Taylor and Grove, with Pro entries. We just have to do the maximum to support our teams and make sure it’s possible to learn from each other.”
Seemingly every year, AMG has multiple customer teams fighting at the sharp end of the 12 Hour, and in 2026, with six of the AMGs entered in the Pro class, a fourth overall victory is a realistic proposition. The question is, which of Mercedes-AMG’s teams will cross the line first? The answer may lie in the race’s recent past.
Two of the three previous wins from AMG were achieved by SunEnergy1 (now 75 Express) in 2022 and 2023, and this year the trio of Kenny Habul, Stolz and Jules Gounon reunite with the team in their quest for a fifth straight overall podium.
Should the Australian-flagged team be considered the pick of the bunch? Stolz feels the team’s atmosphere, patience and strategic nous have given it the edge in recent years.
“Kenny always puts together a great team,” he explains. “At every race, but especially for his home race in Bathurst. In 2022 and 2023, we were able to celebrate victory. In those years, the crew made some amazing strategy calls.
“But also in the years when we achieved podium results, we were always there at the end. We have a great team spirit before, during, and after the race – and that’s the most important thing.”
Even though Habul is a Bronze-rated driver, Stolz doesn’t feel at a disadvantage against the other crews in the field gunning for the overall win.
“Everyone in the team knows their job, and so does Kenny,” he adds. “The whole team appreciates that every year he puts such a strong line-up together. For sure, it’s not an easy job for him to fight against Platinum and Gold drivers, but he always performs well and is super quick around the mountain.”
The AMG GT3 Evo has also played a key role in the team’s success in the race. It may be an elder statesman in GT3 competition these days, but it’s a car which continues to win big races – for proof, just look at the results sheet from last month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona. It also happens to be a car that particularly suits the tight, twisty, fast-flowing Bathurst circuit.
“It’s actually hard to find a track that doesn’t suit the Mercedes-AMG GT3, as it’s a very versatile and well-balanced car,” Stolz says. “From time to time, we might miss a bit of top-end straight-line speed, but we’re strong on tyre deg and across the top.”
However, 75 Express is far from Mercedes-AMG’s only threat.
Lucas Auer returns with Craft-Bamboo after securing pole position last year. Scott Taylor Motorsport fields an all-Supercars line-up of Thomas Randle, Cameron Waters and reigning champion Chaz Mostert. Grove Racing (below) steps up to Pro with proven Bathurst pedigree, while GMR brings a full factory driver trio of Maxime Martin, Mikael Grenier and Maro Engel. Tigani Motorsport adds further firepower with Phillip Ellis, Jayden Ojeda and Fabian Schiller.
Though united by brand, AMG’s Pro-class entries remain independent customer operations — allies in pursuit of a manufacturer victory, but rivals when it comes to the race win itself. That dynamic could make for an explosive final few hours on Sunday afternoon.
“Mercedes-AMG has a strong line-up across a lot of cars. In the early stages, you might be a bit more considerate towards your AMG colleagues. But in the final hours, it’s a fight between all cars, as we’ve seen in the past years,” Stolz acknowledges.
“Porsche is here with two competitive entries, and BMW as well. Ferrari, Corvette and Ford also have strong driver line-ups. I guess we’ll find out on Sunday evening who is the quickest and who did the best job overall!”
Images courtesy of IGTC & Andrew Hall
