When Mercedes-AMG ruled the World

Twenty Six exceptional GT3 cars, representing five of the world’s leading supercar brands, and one very impressive statistic: Every single session of the newly formatted Blancpain GT World Challenge Europe was headed by a Mercedes-AMG GT3.

The Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit is amongst the most formidable of all: Tight, twisted and undulating, every turn of its 2.4 miles demands absolute surety of braking, traction and torque. The Blancpain GTs have headed here since 2014, the fixture becoming a firm favourite with drivers and fans alike, but until this weekend, only once has a Mercedes raced to victory (Bernd Schneider & Jules Szymkowiak in 2016).

The #4 Black Falcon of Luca Stolz & Maro Engel, racing to victory in R2.

This year, something has changed. The teams have found the sweet-spot. Mercedes-AMG have always known that their car is more than capable and rightly resisted calls for an upgrade. Instead, the emphasis was placed on in-house development; the engineers and pro-drivers from customer teams pushing boundaries to unlock its potential.

The domination of Audi, the roaring success of Bentley, the majesty of Aston Martin, and the passione of Lamborghini; all will now be challenged with the same ruthless determination we have come to know from race cars badged with the three-pointed star.

The AKKA ASP car of Timur Boguslavskiy, & Fabian Schiller claimed pole position for Race 2

In the fast-paced world of international GT racing, the journey to the top is both demanding and costly but staying there even more so. With the Blancpain family now heading to Silverstone for what is set to be an epic 48-car, 3-hour thriller this Sunday, every second of practice will be needed to harness the power of AMG’s 6.3-litre V8 engine if its cars are to match the might and fury of Bentley (in its centenary year) and the Aston Martins, both seeking to celebrate victory on home soil.

The AKKA ASP car of Nico Bastian & Thomas Neubauer, heading to victory in R1

For further information on the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup’s visit to Silverstone this weekend (May 11 – 12), click here.

Written By

Steve Hindle

Steve has lived his life with motor sport; from childhood years as a fan, to racing around the greatest tracks in Europe, first as a driver and later as a team principal. Today he's a familiar sight trackside and in the pit lane, notebook in one hand, camera in another, capturing moments and contributing to some of the leading titles in motor sport and automotive media.