Bathurst 12 Hour – 8 Hours: Mercedes take the lead as top six battle tightly

With four hours to go, the race order has shifted again. Earlier, Earl Bamber in the #2 JMR Corvette Z06 GT3.R had led the way, but now the top positions are held by Mercedes-AMG cars, with a tight battle unfolding at the front. The gap between the leaders is small, and every lap counts as teams manage tires, fuel, and traffic through Mount Panorama’s demanding corners.

Pit cycles and battles at the front

The field has gone through another round of green flag pit stops. Cameron Waters had a difficult stint, possibly due to a problem with his cool suit, which made his time behind the wheel more challenging. Thomas Randle has returned to the #222 Scott Taylor Mercedes-AMG, ready to continue the fight.

Volante Rosso Motorsport faced drama when Rylan Gray crashed at Skyline, forcing the deployment of the Safety Car. At that moment, the top four — Maxime Martin, Luca Stolz, Garnet Patterson and Maximilian Götz — had not yet pitted, leaving teams to make quick strategy decisions.

Meanwhile, Lucas Auer (#77 Craft Bamboo Racing) showed strong pace, overtaking Ben Barnicoat (#95 Optimum McLaren) to move into fifth place. The reshuffle from pit stops and on-track battles kept the top ten tightly packed, with positions changing lap by lap.

Six hours to go – Mercedes-AMG in control

With six hours remaining, the Mercedes-AMG entries have moved to the front. Mikaël Grenier (#888 GMR Mercedes-AMG) now leads by just 0.858 seconds over Jules Gounon (#75 75 Express Mercedes-AMG), while Augusto Farfus (#46 Team WRT BMW) sits in third.

The battle is intense, with Grenier, Gounon, Farfus, Thomas Randle, Lucas Auer, and Ben Barnicoat all running very close together. Alexander Sims has slipped slightly, now three seconds behind the Optimum McLaren, showing how small mistakes or traffic can quickly change positions on this demanding circuit.

Randle spins while battling

Thomas Randle spun and hit the barrier while attempting to pass the Bronze entry #86 High Class Racing during a fight with Augusto Farfus for third place. The #222 Scott Taylor Mercedes-AMG suffered minor damage but was able to continue.

There was no Safety Car called for the incident, but the spin caused Randle to lose several positions. The team immediately brought the car into the pits to make repairs. After another 3 minutes and 40 seconds worth of repairs, the Scott Taylor Mercedes-AMG returns to the race. But the Safety Car has been deployed again after the pit exit cone was knocked into the middle of the track — it was hit by Valentino Rossi.

Eight Hours In: Mercedes on Top, Catsburg Chases

As the race reaches the 8-hour mark, several cars have completed their pit stops. This has allowed Nicky Catsburg to move back to the top. He is now fighting for first place with Jules Gounon. Marvin Kirchhöfer has moved into third, making the top three Catsburg, Gounon, and Kirchhöfer. Both Catsburg and Gounon are currently the only cars on track that have not yet pitted.

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🎙️ Interviews | Tony D’Alberto confident after top-six qualifying for Bathurst 12 Hour | Cameron Waters after Bathurst 12 Hour pole | Bas Leinders recalls McLaren’s defining 2016 Bathurst victory | Alex Fontana on the mental challenge of Bathurst | Marco Mapelli prepares for Huracán’s final farewell at Bathurst | Bathurst king Jules Gounon and the art of going fast at Mount Panorama