Mercedes-AMG Remains “Open” to LMGT3 Amid Tight Deadline

Photo: FIA

Mercedes-AMG has continued to hold talks with the FIA and ACO on the prospects of securing a LMGT3 berth in the FIA World Endurance Championship for as early as next year according to its customer racing boss Stefan Wendl, who revealed that an entry request from a prospective team has not yet been submitted amid a looming deadline.

The German manufacturer, which along with Audi lost out on customer entries for the inaugural LMGT3 season, appears to be the leading candidate to potentially replace Lamborghini on the LMGT3 grid should the Italian brand withdraw both its SC63 Hypercar and Huracan GT3 EVO2 programs for 2025.

While an official decision from Lamborghini has not yet been announced, Sportscar365 understands that Mercedes-AMG has been working behind the scenes to be ready should the opportunity present itself.

“We are interested and open if such a door opens up to go in this slot,” Wendl told Sportscar365 in Macau, site of this weekend’s FIA GT World Cup. “So far there’s nothing we can commit to any side.”

When asked if a team has submitted entry requests, ahead of Monday’s deadline, Wendl said: “Not yet.”

Although Wendl declined to go into detail, Sportscar365 believes that only one customer team holds the chance of making the possible Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 effort a realty on the extremely short deadline.

Wendl, however, admitted that IMSA’s adoption of torque sensors for the GTD Pro and GTD classes of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship next year “makes it easier” to help adapt its car to the WEC’s specific LMGT3 technical regulations, which also enforce the sensors.

“We have developed those things for a while,” he said.

“We had some tests ongoing, on the dyno to improve the software and everything behind because we have to change the whole engine maps and the whole programming of the ECU needs to be reshuffled with the closed loop system.

“This is a very intense work that’s ongoing, also to come back to the drivability that we need.

“This makes it easier to have an excess necessary homologation topics for ACO too. That’s true.”

Wendl: No Hypercar Program in “Near Future”

While a LMGT3 effort appears possible for next year, Wendl denied media reports that the German brand could be on the grid in the coming years with a LMDh or LMH car in the top-class prototype ranks.

“We watch Hypercar, we look at it and also make our analysis to be involved because it’s great racing, as you can see with great competition,” he said.

“Sadly we do not have a Hypercar and we will not in the near future.”

Mercedes-AMG is planning to roll out with a successor to the current-gen GT3 Evo in 2026, which is understood to have taken the majority of the manufacturer’s attention for the short-term.

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John