BMW Motorsport has confirmed two star-studded driver lineups for Feburary’s Bathurst 12 Hour, featuring Australian star power and factory drivers.
The renowned German Schnitzer Motorsport squad is Bathurst-bound, with the lineup set to feature Supercars star Chaz Mostert, two-time DTM champion Marco Wittmann, and Brazilian ace Augusto Farfus.
Mostert made a splash at last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour in a privately-run BMW M6 GT3 when he qualified on the front row and led the early stages of the race.
The Queenslander and 2014 Bathurst 1000 winner has since made factory- supported appearances in an AAI Motorsports BMW M6 GT3 at Asian Le Mans Series rounds in China and Japan, as well the FIA GT World Cup in Macau.
Wittmann was another driver to star at last year’s Bathurst 12 Hour, narrowly missing out on a front-row starting spot himself with the third-best time in the Top 10 Shootout.
“For me it will be my first race of 2018,” Wittmann said. “Last year, it definitely was one of the highlights of my season, a really cool experience.
“I think that last year we have been pretty competitive and the performance of the BMW M6 GT3 was very strong.
“We hope to be as strong again this year, and to maybe have a little bit more luck and to fight for a top result.”
Farfus, meanwhile, will be making his Bathurst debut, although he does have long-distance runs on the board after finishing second at the 24 Hours of Daytona back in 2015.
“As I heard from many drivers, Bathurst is one of the coolest circuits in the world, so it will be a nice and big challenge for me,” he said.
“With Marco and Chaz in the car we have a really strong line-up, so I am really looking forward to it.
“I think that the track might suit our car, last year the BMW M6 GT3 had a strong pace there. Overall, I can’t wait to get there!”
As previously announced, the BMW Team SRM M6 GT3 driver lineup will be spearheaded by team owner and lead driver Steve Richards, ex-Formula 1 driver and DTM superstar Timo Glock and Blancpain Endurance Cup race winner Phillip Eng.