Austrian racing ace Lucas Auer has claimed pole position for the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, delivering a stunning lap in the Pirelli Pole Battle at Mount Panorama this afternoon.
In a high-stakes 15-minute shootout featuring the top ten fastest cars from qualifying, Auer piloted the Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the top of the timesheets. His blistering lap edged out Ricardo Feller of Melbourne Performance Centre by just 0.125 seconds, securing the prime starting spot for Sunday’s endurance epic.
Mercedes on Top as Lucas Auer Leads the Grid
With today’s result, Auer and his No. 77 Mercedes-AMG GT3 co-drivers—Australian Jayden Ojeda and German Maximilian Götz—will start from pole position for the grueling 12-hour battle.
Fellow Mercedes-AMG driver Maro Engel put in a strong performance to qualify third, while last year’s pole-sitter, Sheldon van der Linde, took fourth place in his BMW. Aussie favourite Chaz Mostert ensured a Ferrari presence in the top five with a strong lap in his Prancing Horse GT3 machine.
Big Names with Work to Do
Defending Bathurst 12 Hour champion Matt Campbell faces an uphill climb, with his No. 911 Porsche set to start from 11th on the grid. Meanwhile, MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi and his No. 46 BMW will launch from 12th, adding to the drama of Sunday’s endurance thriller.
With 22 GT3 cars ready to tackle Mount Panorama, the stage is set for an intense battle when the Bathurst 12 Hourbegins in the darkness at 5:45 a.m. AEDT. As the sun rises, teams will face changing track conditions, unpredictable strategy calls, and non-stop action in one of Australia’s premier endurance races.
Fans can catch live coverage on the Seven Network and Foxtel, while tickets, camping, and corporate packages remain available via the official event website: www.bathurst12hour.com.au.
Get ready for a thrilling day of GT racing at Mount Panorama!
