Mercedes-AMG Sets Pre-Event Test, Shakedown for Macau

Photo: Gruppe C Photography/Mercedes-AMG

Mercedes-AMG will undertake a test in Europe as well as a shakedown for its teams contesting this year’s FIA GT World Cup to be best prepared for its return to the event with torque sensors.

The four-time GT World Cup winners did not defend its 2024 title last year, citing the introduction of FIA-mandated torque sensors that were used as an extra balance of performance measure.

The devices, which control power levels on the rear axle, first debuted on LMH and LMDh-based prototypes but became mandatory in the FIA World Endurance Championship and European Le Mans Series LMGT3 classes in 2024 before being rolled out to the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GT divisions last year.

Mercedes-AMG was against the implementation of the devices for the one-off event in Macau, citing teams’ lack of experience.

However, it was announced last month that the German manufacturer would again mount an attack at Macau’s Guia Circuit, with a three-car effort comprised of Craft-Bamboo Racing and first-time entrant Tigani Motorsport.

“We’re trying to collect all the information we have from torque sensors racing in WEC, ELMS and also in IMSA,” Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing Stefan Wendl told Sportscar365.

“Having our staff together, we already organized pre-event meetings.

“Due to the specific [event] regulations in Macau, which we face with specific fuel and so-on, we’re preparing a test program in Europe.

“Then later, both teams will go to a pre-event test before Macau to make sure the cars and all the new equipment will be fine and in the best possible shape for the start of the first Free Practice session.”

Wendl confirmed the data from the test in Europe, utilizing its test car will be shared with both teams, which will then be followed up by a pre-event shakedown, understood to be at the neighboring Zhuhai International Circuit in China shortly before the Nov. 19-22 event.

“It takes a lot of [effort] for the teams and also from the manufacturer, to make those systems running from scratch as having no experience, not with the team,” said Wendl. “So we need to bring all the experience for one event into those teams, which is not easy.

“But we’ll do our best. We know we have one year less experience, missing some data for the car. It means we need to be as sharp as possible and learn as much as possible doing the limited track time we have.”

Four-time Macau GT Cup winner Maro Engel will be joined by Adderly Fong in the Craft-Bamboo entries, with Lucas Auer set to be at the wheel of the Tigani example.

Mercedes-AMG Still Has “Concerns” of Rising Costs Due to Torque Sensors

Wendl said his general feelings of torque sensors hasn’t changed since the decision was made to skip last year’s event, stating it’s just  “one way” to go racing.

“There’s some positives on the torque sensors but I still have a lot of concerns that torque sensors, increasing, on top of all the influences we have globally, are increasing costs for the teams and manufacturer and also on an organizational side,” he said.

“You can’t underestimate what’s needed to squeeze the last bit out of those sensors to get them competitive.

“For sure, you can run cars with the torque sensors easily and just plug and play and put them in and run it. But if you wan to optimize them to the best, then there’s quite a lot of effort necessary to get the last tiny tenth out of them.

“From this perspective as I’m responsible for customer racing, I see… that it’s not easy to make this technology accessible for every race series around the world.”

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