Bathurst 12 Hour – 11 Hours: Mercedes stay on top after red flag chaos

As the race entered its eleventh hour, Mount Panorama remained unpredictable. The top cars were battling closely, and teams were carefully managing pit stops, tires, and fuel. Every lap mattered, and small mistakes could quickly change the order.

During the fight for the lead with Jules Gounon (#75 75 Express), the #2 Johor Corvette was noted by Race Control for a possible breach of Safety Car procedures. Nicky Catsburg had to serve a drive-through penalty. The penalty dropped him to eighth place, 31 seconds behind Gounon.

Midfield battles and penalties

In the midfield, Marc Cini had a tense moment. After two close calls with James Koundouris, he spun the #9 Hallmarc Audi, briefly slowing the pack behind him.

The #14 Volante Rosso Aston Martin, now driven by Damien Hamilton, was set to serve a 60-second time penalty during the next pit stop for a rest time breach. Meanwhile, Maro Engel in the #888 GMR Mercedes passed Valentino Rossi on the inside to move into third place.

Safety car comes out

The #268 BRM Audi crashed for the second time today. James Golding hit the wall at Sulman Park but was able to get out of the car on his own. This incident brought out the Safety Car.

During this pit window, Jules Gounon, Maro Engel, and Laurin Heinrich made their planned stops without issue. Ralf Aron also drove through the pits but was waved through by Craft-Bamboo Racing.

When the race restarted, Ralf Aron led with 3 hours and 43 minutes remaining. He was followed by Luca Stolz, Maro Engel, Marvin Kirchhöfer, and Raffaele Marciello, all still in close formation.

Red flag chaos

Chaos hit later when the #79 Tsunami Porsche spun before The Dipper, leaving Johannes Zelger stranded in the middle of the track. Damien Hamilton (#14 Volante Rosso Aston Martin) had stopped nearby with a left-front flat.

Race leader Ralf Aron, unable to see the stranded car, slammed into Zelger at high speed. Luca Stolz and Maro Engel narrowly avoided the crash.

The crash had been triggered by the #100 Grove Mercedes-AMG of Kai Allen, which had earlier spun the #79 Tsunami Porsche. As a result of this high-speed accident, a Red Flag was deployed to stop the race.

Race Restart: Final Hours Begin

The Red Flag period lasted 55 minutes and 50 seconds. After the long delay, the race resumed under yellow behind the Safety Car with 2 hours and 45 minutes remaining. Green flags waved again with 2 hours and 28 minutes left on the clock, setting up a tense final phase of the race.

Two Mercedes cars were still leading the field. Luca Stolz in the #75 75 Express Mercedes held the lead, followed closely by Maro Engel in the #888 GMR Mercedes.

Behind them, Raffaele Marciello in the #46 Team WRT BMW was pushing hard, trying to take third place from Marvin Kirchhöfer in the #95 Optimum McLaren. Meanwhile, Nicky Catsburg in the #2 JMR Corvette was battling with two Porsches close behind.

Intense Battle for the Podium

Maro Engel stayed right on the rear bumper of Luca Stolz, keeping the pressure high at the front. At the same time, Marvin Kirchhöfer and Raffaele Marciello were closing in on the leading pair.

Nicky Catsburg lost around three seconds after getting stuck behind a GT4 McLaren, slightly hurting his momentum.

Marciello attempted a move around the outside of Kirchhöfer at The Cutting, but he had to stay in fourth place for the moment. A few laps later, Marciello tried again for third position. Kirchhöfer fought back immediately.

11-Hour Mark: Mercedes Still in Control

At the 11-hour mark, Luca Stolz in the #75 75 Express Mercedes continued to lead the race. Maro Engel in the #888 GMR Mercedes remained second, staying within striking distance.

Not far behind them, Nicky Catsburg was still chasing hard, keeping the pressure on the leading Mercedes duo as the race entered its final hours.

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