Successful race weekend for AMG Customer Sports Teams worldwide: Two championship titles in the FIA GT3 European Championship

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The race weekend on the 22nd/23rd September 2012 shows an impressing success rate for the AMG Customer Sports Teams which operate with the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 worldwide. Three victories and ten podium positions in seven races and two championship titles – these are the pleasing results of the races on the Nürburgring and on Phillip Island (Australia). Maximilian Buhk (GER) and Dominik Baumann (AUT) from the AMG Customer Sports Team HEICO-Gravity Charouz managed to win the driver title in the FIA GT3 European Championship. During the last race on the Nürburgring the German-Austrian driver duo achieved two confident victories on Saturday and Sunday. Their team colleagues Max Nilsson (SWE) and Mika Vähämäki (FIN) finished in positions three and eight. Due to these results, HEICO-Gravity Charouz also managed to secure their title in the team ranking, as they had already done in the 2011 season.

Norbert Brückner, team manager HEICO-Gravity Charouz Team: „We are all extremely happy about this super successful weekend here on the Nürburgring. Not only could we secure the FIA GT3 European Championship Title as a team but we even had the performance to build up on the success of 2011. Maximilian and Dominik managed to win the driver title already on Saturday with a confident start-finish victory! I want to thank the whole team which has been working hard for these results.“

Maximilian Buhk: „Winning no fewer than two titles in the FIA GT3 European Championship for the HEICO-Gravity Charouz Team is more than I would have ever dared to dream of. My team colleague Dominik Baumann and I have had a great season!“

Dominik Baumann: „Winning the team title in 2011 with HEICO-Gravity Charouz and building up on this success together with my team colleague Maximilian Buhk here at the last race weekend and also winning the driver title in the FIA GT3 European Championship means very much to me! During the entire season, the SLS AMG GT3 has been perfectly prepared and very reliable.”

FIA GT1 World Championship: In the FIA GT1 World Championship, which was held parallelly, Marc Basseng and Markus Winkelhock (both GER) of ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport managed to finish third and second. Due to these results, they took over the lead in the driver ranking and thus have optimal prerequisites for the last race on the coming weekend in Donington (Great Britain). Their team colleagues Thomas Jäger (GER) and Nicky Pastorelli (ITA) achieved positions six and eight. Due to these results, ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport was able to keep on its leading position in the team ranking.

Markus Winkelhock: „It feels great to start the final race having the leading position in the driver ranking and the team ranking. It was a close fight in the race on Sunday – at first with BMW and McLaren and then with Lamborghini. However, our pace was very good and thus we could defend our positions and cross the finish line in the second position.”

Blancpain Endurance Series: The AMG Customer Sports Teams Black Falcon (GER) and Preci-Spark (GB) took start positions in the penultimate race, which was also held on the Nürburgring. Black Falcon started the three-hour race from positions five and 13. The driver pair Congfu Cheng (CHN), Mike Parisy (FRA) and Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED), who participated in the PRO-Cup, came home second after a commanding finish. Their team colleagues Oliver Morley (GB), Steve Jans (LUX) and Sean Edwards (GB), who participated in the PRO-AM Cup, finished sixth and won the PRO-AM Cup. The British AMG Customer Sports Team Preci-Spark with the twins David and Godfrey Jones started from the last starting position after an accident at the beginning of the qualifying and crossed the finish line in position 38.

Australian GT Championship: The guest entry of the AMG brand ambassador and former DTM driver Maro Engel in the Australian AMG Customer Sports Team Erebus Racing was a full success. Engel, who took part in the fifth race of the Australian GT Championship on Phillip Island as part of the AMG Driver Support, managed to bring home two podium positions. Maro Engel ended the first race on Saturday winning the second position and set up a new lap record after he entered the race from the pole position. Engel managed to achieve a confident victory in the second race on Sunday. His team colleague Peter Hackett (AUS) in the second SLS AMG GT3 of Erebus Racing, finished third on Saturday and second on Sunday. He managed to build up on his leading position in the Australian GT Championship.

Ola Källenius, Managing Director Mercedes-AMG GmbH: „I am very happy about the fact that the HEICO-Gravity Charouz Team managed to win no fewer than two titles in the FIA GT3 European Championship here on the Nürburgring. The start position in the FIA GT1 World Championship for the AMG Customer Sports Team ALL-INKL.COM Münnich Motorsport for the final in Donington on the coming weekend is more than promising. The guest entry of our AMG brand ambassador Maro Engel in the Australian GT Championship with one victory and a second position for Erebus Racing is also very pleasing. All of these successes on this race weekend are a welcome confirmation for our Customer Sports Programme with the SLS AMG GT3.“

~ Official photos and details courtesy of Mercedes-AMG GmbH ~

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