Porsche Reigns Supreme at Thrilling Bathurst 12 Hour
Manthey-EMA factory squad does the double down under.
The legendary Mount Panorama Circuit in Bathurst, Australia, once again resonated with the roar of high-performance engines as the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour unfolded in epic fashion. A global showcase of elite GT3 racing, this year's edition featured a thrilling narrative filled with strategic brilliance, nail-biting overtakes, and a nail-biting fight for the chequered flag as Porsche triumphed in a nail-biting climax.
Setting the Stage
The Bathurst 12 Hour has built an undeniable reputation for its unforgiving nature. The 6.213-kilometre circuit, carved into the side of the mountain, offers breathtaking elevation changes, blind corners, and unforgiving concrete barriers. Drivers and teams had to contend with unpredictable weather that often ranged from bright sunshine to downpours – testing adaptability to the absolute limit.
The 2024 entry list boasted a star-studded line-up drawn from top-tier GT racing series across the globe. Factory outfits from heavyweights like Porsche, Audi, Mercedes-AMG, and BMW arrived fully armed with their latest GT3 challengers and world-class driver rosters. Local Australian heroes and talented privateer teams added to the spectacle, guaranteeing a fierce and unpredictable fight for endurance glory.
Dawn of a New Era
The 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour marked a significant milestone as it kicked off the Intercontinental GT Challenge season. This prestigious international series brings together the globe's most illustrious endurance races, adding an extra dimension of rivalry to the Mount Panorama classic. Furthermore, the 2024 race unveiled a fresh sponsorship from Atlanta-based Genuine Parts Company, taking over from Würth and bringing the Repco name to the Bathurst 12 Hour.
Drama from the Green Flag
The drama unfolded right from the opening lap as multiple championship contenders piled into a chaotic accident at Hell Corner just seconds after the start. Amid the early scramble, Audi Sport Team Valvoline's Ricardo Feller held his ground, leading a relentless charge at the front. However, as the race progressed, a pattern of attrition emerged, with several high-profile retirements thinning the front-running pack and demonstrating the sheer brutality of the Bathurst challenge.
The Fight for Supremacy
As the clock ticked down, a captivating duel developed between Porsche and Mercedes-AMG for outright victory. Manthey EMA Motorsports' #912 Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by the star trio of Matt Campbell, Mathieu Jaminet, and Thomas Preining, engaged in a thrilling fight with SunEnergy1 Racing's #75 Mercedes-AMG GT3 crewed by Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon, and Luca Stolz. These two powerhouses traded the lead multiple times, pushing each other and their machines to the absolute limit.
Adding to the tension, a flurry of late safety car periods tightened the field, putting race strategies under severe pressure as teams weighed the merits of a final aggressive push for the win against playing it safe. With just minutes remaining in the race, it seemed that anyone in the top five still had a fighting chance to etch their names into Bathurst folklore.
Porsche's Final Triumph
In the closing stages, Manthey EMA's Campbell, a familiar Bathurst hero, displayed nerves of steel. The reigning Supercars champion held off a relentless late charge from Mercedes-AMG's Maro Engel. The lead gap hovered tantalizingly close, setting up a breathtaking photo finish. Under immense pressure, Campbell held his line, crossing the stripe to deliver a momentous victory for Porsche. It was a moment of redemption for the German marque, having had the win frustratingly snatched away in the final laps of the 2023 edition.
A delighted Laurens Vanthoor said, “It was a great race. I really wanted to come back to Bathurst, preferably with Manthey EMA and Porsche, of course, to have the best chance of winning. And that's how it turned out in the end. We were very strong right from the start and dominated the race for most of the time. Apart from one penalty, we drove faultlessly and were able to win the race. Personally, I've been trying to win here for a long time, but I've always just missed out on victory at Bathurst. This was one of the big races that was missing from my personal bucket list, so I'm very happy!”