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B12Hr: GMR Mercedes-AMG Leads At The Half

Long green-flag sequence allows teams to show their pace before McLaren crash brings out safety car

The #888 GMR Mercedes-AMG leads the Bathurst 12 Hour at the halfway mark, after an alternate strategy play three hours ago paid dividends, giving the team a free pit stop over its rivals due to a well-timed safety car.

Team GMR’s AMG was one of six cars to pit during the third safety car of the race, at nine hours 30 minutes remaining, and was in a prime position to take advantage of an incident just before half distance, after the “standard” strategy stoppers had already pitted.

The incident that caused the fourth safety car of the race was a hard hit for Rylan Gray in the #15 Volante Rosso McLaren, which found the wall on both sides in The Esses. Gray took too much kerb on the inside of the Esses, bouncing the car into the right-hand side wall, which then pinballed the McLaren into the outside wall, and out of the race.

Grenier leads from Jules Gounon in the 75 Express Mercedes – another car that was on the same strategy – with the #46 Team WRT BMW in third. The AMG of Randle (#222 STM) and Auer (#77 Craft Bamboo) complete the top five.

The early stint leaders were the #2 JMR Corvette, with Sims, Catsburg, then Bamber dominating the morning stint, despite dropping behind the #46 WRT BMW in the pit sequence. Once Catsburg got back through on the #46 BMW, he eked out a four-second lead over Marciello. Marciello slowly reeled in the Corvette over the course of the stint, as the long green flag period allowed the field to separate their strategies and show their true pace.

This resulted in the race separating briefly into two groups; those who were on the standard strategy, pitting just after the nine hour mark, and then the cars who had pit during the third safety car of the race, including the #888 Team GMR, #75 Express, and #77 Craft Bamoo Mercedes, the #61 EBM Porsche, and the #95 Optimum McLaren.

The effective running order saw the #2 JMR Corvette leading from the #46 WRT BMW, with the #222 STM Mercedes just off the back. Marciello began to close the gap to Catsburg at the end of the stint, making the move on the final lap as Catsburg was forced to fuel save.

During the next stint, the race really began to settle. Great work from the #46 WRT team saw them take the effective lead in the pit stops once again, but Earl Bamber very quickly moved back through on Rossi to put the Corvette back in front.

The Kiwi broke out to a small five-second lead, as the #888 GMR Mercedes, #46 WRT BMW and #222 STM Mercedes battled over second. Further back, the 5 Express Mercedes-AMG was in no-mans-land in fifth, while there was a vigorous battle for sixth between the #61 EBM Porsche, the #95 Optimum McLaren, and the #26 Arise Racing Ferrari, which was then joined by the #911 Absolute Racing Porsche.

There was an awkward moment as the #95 McLaren exited the pits, which backed up the battle pack over the top of the Mountain. Garnett Patterson defended vigorously against Ricardo Feller, as the group then encountered the #101 Q/MPC Audi, with Tony Quinn behind the wheel.

There was almost contact, as Patterson got caught up behind the Audi on the inside line at The Elbow, allowing Feller to go around the outside to take sixth position.

Traffic also played a part in a near miss for the leading battle too: Maxime Martin got held up slightly on the exit of The Elbow, giving the #46 WRT BMW a great run on the #888 GMR Mercedes. Rossi thought about a move, but ended up checking up on braking to the chase, just as Cam Waters tried to move around the outside at the chase. There was contact between the #46 and #222 STM Mercedes, with Waters just hanging on as the #222 made the grass.

Rossi picked up a bad sportsmanship flag for the contact, but otherwise, it was play on.

The incident fell right in the middle of the pit sequence, allowing the group that had pitted at the third safety car over three hours ago a chance to pit under yellows and take an advantage. This has put the #888 GMR Mercedes in the lead, ahead of the #75 75 Express Mercedes. The #46 Team WRT BMW is the first of the cars that were on the standard strategy, as everyone is now on the same strategy.

The Safety Car period allowed several cars back onto the lead lap thanks to the wave-around. In total, there are 15 cars on the lead lap, including the #32 Team WRT BMW, which fell off earlier in the race after having to replace the front end of that car.

Leading the Bronze class is the #21 Herberth Motorsport Porsche with Alfred Renauer at the wheel, in 13th overall and on the lead lap. The #21 Porsche was in a stirring fight with the #86 High Class Racing Porsche for the Bronze lead prior to the safety car, with the #86 falling just off the lead lap in the process.

Leading Pro-Am is the #45 RAM/GWR Mercedes with Walden at the wheel, in 17th overall, while the GT4 #42 Method Motorsport entry has stayed trouble-free in 29th.

After their issues earlier in the race, both the #111 111 Racing IRC GT and the #268 Team BRM Audi are back out on track, albeit many laps down. The #100 Grove Racing Mercedes has had issues, though, dropping from the front pack to many laps down, after a vibration in the car was diagnosed as a problem in the splitter.

With the wave-by completed, there is a large gap between the top 8 and the remaining 6 cars on the lead lap. But another safety car could see the whole field bunch up together, as there are six hours remaining.

Image courtesy of Andrew Hall

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