Buhk Set for Full-Time Drive in P1 Mercedes

Photo: Mercedes-AMG

Multi-time Blancpain GT Series champion Maxi Buhk is the latest GT star to join the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship full-time, having been confirmed for a season-long campaign in P1 Motorsports’ Mercedes-AMG GT3.

The Mercedes-AMG factory driver will join team owner/driver JC Perez for ten of the 11 rounds in the GT Daytona class, beginning with the season-opening Rolex 24 at Daytona.

Fabian Schiller will join the duo for the Michelin Endurance Cup races, with GTD race-winner Dominik Baumann completing the four-driver lineup for Daytona.

Buhk, who made his WeatherTech Championship debut in October’s Motul Petit Le Mans with the team, said a full-time ride in the U.S. has been on his radar for quite some time.

“I was talking to JC after Atlanta just about doing the endurance races. Then I got the call from AMG that he wants me to do the full season,” Buhk told Sportscar365.

“I was straight away into it because I wanted to experience something new and not always driving Blancpain or in Europe.

“I really liked the American racing in Atlanta when I was there.

“For me, it’s a really cool experience. The team is really nice; it’s really easy to work there and good fun with JC. I think it will be a cool year.”

Buhk is slated to take part in all races except the Michelin GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway, which clashes with the Intercontinental GT Challenge round at Suzuka.

“I know the car quite well,” he said. “I don’t know the tracks but maybe I can help the team to bring forward the car and setup. But the rest will come by itself.”

The Florida-based team steps up to a full-season GTD program after making its series debut in the four-round Endurance Cup last year.

“We’re really happy with the support we’ve been getting from AMG,” said team manager Gary Cummings. “For them to arrange to have a caliber of driver like Maxi Buhk in the car means a whole lot from us.

“It was really one of the things that helped JC to push for a full-season, knowing that we have that kind of help from them.”

In addition to Cummings, who joined the team late last year, longtime team owner Kevin Doran has been brought in to call strategy.

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