Once again, the SLS AMG GT3 from the customer team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon claimed an unchallenged victory in the Dubai 24-hour race (10th to 12th of January 2013). The gullwing car with race number 1 and the drivers Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE), Bernd Schneider (GER), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Sean Edwards (GB) entered the race from the pole position and won the race two laps ahead. Thus the team continued its success of the previous year.
However, the run-up of the 24-hour race was an unfavourable one for AMG Customer Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon: The gullwing car with race number 1 was damaged so hard in an accident on the test track, the Grand Prix track of the Dubai Autodrome, which is 5.39 kilometres long, that it could not be repaired on the spot. The team decided to purchase the substitute car of the British team Preci-Spark and worked for two entire nights in succession in order to prepare the car for the free training sessions and the qualifying on Thursday. Without a roll-out prior to the end of the qualifying, Jeroen Bleekemolen achieved the fastest training time already in the third lap – thus the Dutch driver laid the cornerstone for today’s success. The victorious SLS AMG GT3 was the first customer sports gullwing car ever that was delivered: Preci-Spark was the first AMG Customer Team that took over a SLS AMG GT3 in 2011.
In the starting phase, the gullwing car of Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon remained among the first positions until it unluckily fell back during several code-60 phases. In a code-60 phase, vehicles are driven on the track with slow speed until the scene of an accident is cleared up and the race can be started again. In the further course of the race, the race number 1 remained unaffected by problems, did not give up its top position in the race and gained victory in the fight for the first position.
Alexander Böhm, team manager Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon: “I am extremely happy! The team showed an exceptional performance. We all thought that the accident on Wednesday would compel us to give up. However, our mechanics assembled the car with a new chassis and showed their full commitment and determination. The car was finished five minutes prior to closing the pit lane and drove for 24 hours without any problems. Our drivers remained the vehicle on high speed during the entire race and did not have any problems with liability. I also want to thank the twins David and Godfrey Jones of the team Preci-Spark for their collegial and spontaneous help!”
Bernd Schneider: “A sensational success and great day for AMG Customer Sports. After the accident on Wednesday nobody in the team reckoned on winning the first position today. Our SLS AMG GT3 was fast on a constant basis and ran very reliably. Now I succeeded in winning the Dubai 24 Hours in my third attempt. I want to thank the entire team!”
Schneider, the five time DTM champion and AMG brand ambassador participated in the Dubai 24 Hours for the third time as part of the AMG Customer Sports Drivers’ Support. In 2012, he won the second position and in his debut year 2011 he claimed the seventh overall position.
The second SLS AMG GT3 from the AMG Customer Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon with race number 2 ended the endurance race in Dubai on position seven. Andreas Simonsen (SWE), Steve Jans (LUX), Simon Knap (NED), Sergei Afanasiev (RUS) and double starter Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE) started from position 14. The gullwing car had established itself among the five fastest cars, before it fell back numerous positions after a collision. However, the team succeeded in gaining the seventh overall position due to constantly good lap times.
The British AMG Customer Team Preci-Spark entered the race from position 17 and achieved its best result ever in a 24-hour race by winning the fifth overall position. The twins David and Godfrey Jones (aged 59) drove in the Amateur Category with their sons Morgan (27), Garreth (29) and Phillip (32), in which they achieved a sensational second position.
The Italian AMG Customer Team De Lorenzi Racing won position twelve in their first race with the gullwing car. Race number 14 entered the race from the twelfth position with the drivers Gianluca de Lorenzi, Dario Paletto (both ITA), Dan Norris-Jones (GB) and Olivier Baharian (FRA) and lost precious time due to a longer repair in the beginning. In the course of the race, De Lorenzi Racing managed to approach to the top ten.
Ola Källenius, chairman of the board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “Dubai is the place to be for Mercedes-AMG. After the 1-2-3 last year, we managed to build up the success today through a further victory by the team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon. This success once again proves the performance and reliability of our SLS AMG GT3. I want to thank the Customer teams, the drivers and all participants.”
Uli Fritz, head of AMG Customer Sports: “Congratulations to the victorious AMG Customer Team Abu Dhabi by Black Falcon. Apart from the unchallenged victory, I am happy about the fact that all four entered gullwing cars reached the finish line. Having three of four entered SLS AMG GT3 winning top ten positions is an exceptional result. I want to thank all teams and drivers!”
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 super sports cars driven by the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon Team and HEICO Motorsport placed 1-2-3 in the Dubai 24-hour race that took place January 12-14, 2012.. The Abu Dhabi Black Falcon team claimed victory with drivers Thomas Jäger (GER), Sean Edwards (ENG), Jeroen Bleekemolen (NED) and Khaled Al Qubaisi (UAE). After setting a new distance record of 628 race laps, final driver Al Qubaisi drove the Gullwing with starting number 3 across the finish line. This first place was also the maiden victory for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 in a 24-hour race.
The first of HEICO Motorsport’s Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3’s came home second, two laps down. Driving duties in the car with starting number 6 were shared by Maximilian Buhk (GER), Christiaan Frankenhout (NED), Max Nilsson (SWE), Andreas Zuber (AUT) and Bernd Schneider (GER). Schneider, the five times’ DTM champion and AMG brand ambassador, drove in both of HEICO Motorsport’s cars as a part of AMG’s Customer Sports driver support programme. In the team’s sister car with starting number 16, he had been entered to partner Kenneth Heyer (GER), Andreas Simonsen (SWE) and Rodolfo Gonzalez (VEN). In a dramatic finish, final driver Simonsen managed to bring a small margin home to round out the clean sweep of the podium by finishing third.
The fourth of the four SLS AMG GT3s that were entered for the race also finished among the front-runners. The Gravity Charouz Racing team with Vincent Radermecker (BEL), Loris de Sordi (BEL), Eric Lux (LUX), Gerard Lopez (ESP) and Tomas Enge (CZE) was classified seventh to complete the good overall performance for the Gullwing cars.
All four Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3s put their mark on the Dubai 24-hour race by showing a commanding performance from the very beginning. In the field of the 72 cars, the Gullwings were among the fastest entries right away. Having started from 15th place on the grid, the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon SLS AMG GT3 moved up into the lead for the first time after two hours. Consistently fast lap times also allowed the other Gullwings to move up quickly into the ranks of the front-runners as well.
During the night, the teams from the AMG Customer Sports programme continued their largely trouble-free run on the 5.39 km long Grand Prix circuit, maintaining their fast lap times and partly alternating in the lead. After one third of the race, the Gullwing with starting number 3 finally took over the lead and held on to it until it crossed the finish line.
Thomas Jäger: “This is an optimal result for the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon team. It shows in an impressive way how performant and reliable the SLS AMG GT3 is. The driver changes went perfectly and, admittedly, we also had the necessary bit of luck: we didn’t get involved in any collisions, which isn’t self-evident with so many cars on such a short track. I want to thank the entire team for a great performance.”
Marc Schramm, managing director Black Falcon: “We came to Dubai to win. That is what we have said prior to the race and we lived up to it thanks to a strong team performance. As usual, the focus of our strategy was on consistency and that worked out in a fantastic way. Of course, I am also happy with having covered a new record distance of 628 laps. Thanks to the entire team and, of course, also to Mercedes-AMG and HWA for the support.”
Bernd Schneider: “During the night, we had a minor problem, that’s why we stood in the pits for a couple of minutes. Had it not been for that, it could even have been slightly better. To be honest, I now feel a little bit knocked out after having raced with both cars, but the success more than makes up for this. After all, finishing second and third at the same time doesn’t happen every day. Congratulations also to the Abu Dhabi Black Falcon team for this well-deserved race win.”
Ola Källenius, chairman of the board, Mercedes-AMG GmbH: “This is a great success! Especially considering that the participation in Dubai was only the fifth 24-hour race for the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3. Today’s clean sweep of the top three is a great reward for our efforts. I sincerely want to thank our customer teams, drivers and everyone involved. I am looking for a great 2012 motor racing season!”
Most successful newcomer in the 2011 motor sport season
This year’s Dubai 24-hour race marks the beginning of the second racing season for the SLS AMG GT3. In its debut year of 2011, the Gullwing became probably the most successful newcomer in the 2011 motorsport season: from March 2011 on 40 race cars were delivered to international customer teams that took part in races on four continents and won a total of 25 races. The success story was crowned by the team title of the FIA GT3 European Championship for HEICO Motorsport and its two Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 – the first title for the Gullwing in its first full racing season.
The race car: performance and safety
The Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 is the racing version of the SLS AMG for the customer sport. It is designed for sprint and endurance races and is developed and produced by Mercedes-AMG in close cooperation with HWA AG. HWA is responsible for the development and deployment of the AMG-Mercedes DTM racing team on behalf of and in constant consultation with Mercedes-Benz Motorsport. The near-production SLS AMG GT3 provides not only an athletic performance but an exemplary level of safety that is unmatched by any other current GT3 car.