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Bathurst 12 Hour: Lucas Auer Secures Pole for Mercedes-Benz in Frantic Qualifying Battle

David Castro by David Castro
February 1, 2025
in Motorsports
Reading Time: 4 mins read
0
Bathurst 12 Hour: Lucas Auer Secures Pole for Mercedes-Benz in Frantic Qualifying Battle

Mercedes-Benz is set to lead the field at the 2025 Bathurst 12 Hour, with Lucas Auer securing pole position in a blistering 2m01.2760s lap at Mount Panorama. The Craft-Bamboo Racing driver outpaced Ricardo Feller’s Audi R8 LMS Evo II by 0.12s, clinching the Allan Simonsen Pole Trophy in his Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.


Auer’s Stunning Pole Lap Sets the Tone

Austrian Lucas Auer, making his Bathurst debut, delivered a scorching lap in Craft-Bamboo Racing’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, which he will share with Maxy Gotz and Jayden Ojeda. The qualifying session was expected to be ultra-close, given that the top 10 were separated by just 0.381s in earlier sessions, but Auer’s lap proved decisive in the final shootout.

🏆 Auer’s thoughts on taking pole:
🗣️ “I’m absolutely thrilled! The car felt amazing, and it’s an incredible feeling to be on pole at such an iconic track. Now we just have to convert this into a win.”


Front Row Lockout Denied as Feller Surprises in Audi

Swiss driver Ricardo Feller impressed in his Jamec Racing Audi R8 LMS Evo II, clinching second place in just his first Bathurst 12 Hour appearance. His Audi entry was confirmed only 10 days ago, making his front-row start even more remarkable. Supercars talent Broc Feeney and Liam Talbot will join him for the endurance battle.

🥈 Feller on securing second:
🗣️ “We weren’t sure how competitive we’d be given the late entry, but this car has pace! We’re in a great spot for the race.”


Stacked Second Row: Mercedes vs. BMW

Veteran Maro Engel made a late entry onto the track in his Team GMR Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, securing third place with a last-minute charge. Meanwhile, Sheldon van der Linde took a different approach, setting his BMW M4 GT3’s time early to lock in fourth place. He will share the car with his brother Kelvin van der Linde and endurance ace Augusto Farfus.

📢 Engel on his late attack:
🗣️ “We left it late, but the car was strong when it mattered. It’s going to be a battle at the front.”


Notable Entries & Big Misses

  • 🇦🇺 Chaz Mostert placed fifth in the Arise Racing Ferrari 296 GT3, securing the highest-placed Ferrari on the grid.
  • 🏎️ Lauren Heinrich (Manthey EMA Porsche 911 GT3 R) finished sixth, ahead of Luca Stolz (75 Express) and Scott Andrews (Geyer Valmont Racing Audi).
  • 🏁 Craig Lowndes, Cam Waters, and Thomas Randle will start ninth in the Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.

🚨 Shock non-qualifiers:

  • Defending champion Matt Campbell (Manthey EMA Porsche) will start 11th after a mistake at The Chase cost him a top-10 spot by 0.088s.
  • Valentino Rossi’s R46 WRT BMW—expected to make the shootout—suffered overheating issues, meaning Rossi, Raffaele Marciello, and Charles Weerts will start 12th.

Race Outlook: Can Mercedes Convert Pole to Victory?

The 12-hour endurance race kicks off at 5:45 AM Sydney time (1:45 PM ET Saturday), with hot summer conditions (86°F) expected to test drivers and machines.

With Mercedes-AMG, Audi, and BMW filling the top four, the battle for victory looks set to be intense. Can Auer and Craft-Bamboo Racing turn their pole into a win, or will Audi and BMW mount a challenge in the mountain?


🔥 Prediction:
Expect a three-way battle between Mercedes, Audi, and BMW, but keep an eye on defending champ Matt Campbell, who will be charging through the field in his Porsche.

Who do you think will take the Bathurst 12 Hour crown? Let us know! 🏁

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