Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing aiming once more to clinch Bathurst 12 Hour crown
Mercedes-AMG driver line-up of Lucas Auer, Maximilian Goetz and Jayden Ojeda to represent Hong Kong team on the Mountain
ColorSpec featured as title sponsor on classic green Craft-Bamboo Racing livery
Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing will participate in one of the most anticipated long-distance endurance races of the year - the 2025 Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, kicking off the 2025 Intercontinental GT Challenge series. They will return to the Mount Panorama Circuit from January 31 to February 2 with a strong Mercedes-AMG driver lineup, consisting of Lucas Auer (AUT), Maximilian Goetz (GER), and Jayden Ojeda (AUS). All three will pilot the #77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 this year in the Pro class, aiming for the overall victory.
2025 marks the official Mercedes-AMG performance team’s eighth attempt to conquer Mount Panorama, with the elusive Bathurst 12 Hour crown once again their main goal. The team came close to securing it in the 2024 edition, but their fight came to a disappointing end by the 10-hour mark running in P2, following an accident in heavy rain that forced the retirement of their car. The latest edition serves as an opportunity for the Hong Kong racing team to redeem themselves and put in another fighting chance to secure a highly coveted Bathurst victory.
This year brings together an impressive driver lineup for the team. Lucas Auer will be racing at Bathurst for the first time, but the Austrian driver is well prepared to face the challenges of the race and circuit. Auer completed a successful GT World Challenge Europe campaign last year, which culminated with winning the 2024 Drivers Championship title. Jayden Ojeda is no stranger to Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 hardware - his most recent exposure being in the team’s first Super Taikyu season, where he assisted with securing a P1 finish at the Okayama round. Maximilian Goetz hopes to replicate his previous efforts driving under Mercedes-AMG Craft-Bamboo Racing in 2024’s Bathurst 12 Hours, where his strong stints allowed them to be race leaders on several occasions. The 2021 DTM Champion is the most experienced of the three when it comes to the Bathurst 12 Hour, having competed in this race five times, making this an extremely well-balanced line-up combining youth and experience.
The striking livery on the #77 ColorSpec Mercedes-AMG GT3 car this year is a moment of nostalgia for those who can recall the team’s first attempt at mastering the twists and turns of Mount Panorama in 2015. The design, consisting of green, white, and black colors, is a callback to the same colors utilized by the team’s debut Bathurst 12 Hours entry in 2015, where they successfully secured a podium finish. In addition, the design prominently features title sponsor Colorspec, an Australian-made, professional-grade, paint refinish system. Designed for automotive and general use, Colorspec employs the same Clear-Over-Base paint technology used by automotive manufacturers.
Since its first edition in 1991, the Bathurst 12 Hours, also known as ‘Australia’s International Enduro’, is one of the world’s most grueling endurance races. Stretching across 6.213km of the iconic Mount Panorama Circuit, the event demands precision, endurance, and adaptability as racers navigate unpredictable track conditions and fierce competition - from driving at high speed in minimal light during the early morning hours to the multiple elevated track portions on the Mount Panorama circuit. Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing will once again put in all efforts to increase their chances of securing victory and finishing on the top step of the podium on February 2nd.
Fans can tune into all hours of racing action on the official live stream and select broadcast channels.
Race Schedule
(UTC+08:00)
Friday, January 31, 2025
Practice 1 - 05:35 AM
Practice 2 - 10:45 AM
Saturday, February 1, 2025
Practice 3 - 05:35 AM
Practice 4 - 07:25 AM
Qualifying - 10:05 AM
Sunday, February 2, 2025
2025 Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour - 02:45 AM
Darryl O’Young
Team Director Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing
The Bathurst 12 Hour is one of the ones we can’t seem to win. We’ve finished on every place on the podium except P1, and consistently in the top 5 across most of our 8 attempts. We are very happy with our driver lineup this year, and feel we have a car and team that can compete for the win. These are the types of races that take every ounce of our team's experience to win, and with the tough competition on the grid this year, any team that wins will need some luck on their side as well to come out on top. We can’t wait to get going again on the Mountain!
Lucas Auer
Driver #77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing
I’m looking forward to my first attempt at the 12 Hours of Bathurst. I am excited to be working with the team and driving with my teammates - we are a great group and have a lot of potential as a team to succeed at the race. Mount Panorama looks to be a beautiful circuit based on the laps I have done through simulator training, can’t wait to be there in person soon!
Maximilian Goetz
Driver #77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing
I’m looking forward to returning to Bathurst and with Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing again - Mount Panorama is one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar, next to the Nurburgring. Last year, we did a great job as a team and were in a very good position to finish at the top, but it was unfortunate we had an accident right at the end. Lucas will be driving the car in our first few laps of Bathurst, so I will do everything to motivate him from the beginning and help him learn the track as quickly as possible. We will aim to get good results and a victory this year!
Jayden Ojeda
Driver #77 Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing
I am really excited to be back with Mercedes-AMG Team Craft-Bamboo Racing for the Bathurst 12 Hour. We ran a strong race last year until we encountered misfortune. We are all extremely motivated to taste success at Mount Panorama this year. I have a pair of great teammates in Lucas & Max and we have a great team behind us for what is always a challenging race.
