Griller warfare

Beyond that snarling grille, Mercedes has made a raft of more subtle changes to its updated AMG GT3 which should ensure it can take the fight to its rivals this year and next. Racecar spoke to the fi rm’s customer sport boss to find out more

- ANDREW COTTON

With new regulations due in 2022 that will effectively force manufacturers to build new GT3 cars (see last month’s issue, V30N2), this year could be the last that competing brands have the chance to introduce new versions of existing models.

Mercedes has grabbed this opportunity with both hands and introduced its update to the AMG GT3 that was first run in 2016, and has since won multiple driver and manufacturer titles. This new version was set to make its debut at the Daytona 24 hours in late January.

Since the introduction of the outgoing model, the face of GT3 racing has changed dramatically and Mercedes needed to step up to meet new and rather novel challenges.

Mid-engine cars from Audi and Lamborghini, which share a base platform, in particular have set their cars up with high camber and pressure settings, leading sole tyre supplier Pirelli to introduce two new tyre specifications since 2016 to cope with the increased loads. Sporting regulations have also changed to allow refuelling and tyre changes at the same time, while unforeseen changes such as shifts in circuit design trends have exposed weaknesses in the old car that have now been addressed.

Finishing touch

The car’s overall race performance also had to be examined, as the balance of performance system drew cars closer together. Sprint finishes, even in endurance races, are now fairly commonplace and Mercedes has had to take steps to ensure that its car will be able to perform as well at the end of an endurance race as at the beginning, something that is not a strong point with the older version of the car.