GruppeM Curtails IGTC Program

Photo: SRO

GruppeM Racing has curtailed its planned Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli campaign due to travel challenges amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Hong Kong-flagged team, which is largely based in Germany, had planned to enter its Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo for the entire season with Felipe Fraga and factory drivers Maxi Buhk and Raffaele Marciello.

However, it has withdrawn from both the Indianapolis 8 Hour and Total 24 Hours of Spa, with no current plans for any additional races this year, according to team director Alex Zoechling.

Sportscar365 understands that an option to run Spa was offered by Mercedes-AMG although GruppeM “does not want to run one-off events” according to Zoechling.

“Plus it’s a nightmare for logistics with the [mandatory] quarantine,” he told Sportscar365.

“We as GruppeM will now observe what will happen for 2021 in IGTC and also if there is a DTM with GT3 cars.”

The team, which has been a regular front-runner in the global GT3 series in recent years, finished sixth in February’s season-opening Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hour.

Mercedes-AMG’s IGTC presence, outside of Spa, is expected to be heavily reduced, with no GT3 Pro class car currently entered for Indianapolis. 

The provisional entry list for the Oct. 3-4 event is expected to be released later today.

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