German Mercedes-AMG team to field car for SRO GT Academy winners

An international line-up of graduates from the SRO GT Academy will be competing for class victory at next year’s 24 Hours of Spa. It has now been confirmed which team will be fielding them: Team Motopark has been selected to manage the prize-winners’ Mercedes-AMG GT3.

The line-up will consist of one representative each from the continental ‘GT World Challenge powered by AWS’ series in America, Asia and Australia, as well as the British GT. The car is provisionally set to compete in either the Gold Cup or the Silver Cup – both highly competitive classes featuring some of the most promising talents in global GT racing.

Team Motopark, best known for its successes in formula racing, has more recently established itself in GT racing as well, making its debut this summer at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas, Liam Lawson, Brendon Hartley and Mercedes-AMG Performance driver Lucas Auer are just a few of the drivers who gained their first experience with Timo Rumpfkeil’s team, whilst many others have gone on to make the leap to Formula 1, the IndyCar Series and the top tiers of sports car racing.

“We are delighted that the SRO has selected Team Motopark, a Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing team, for this special project,” said Stefan Wendl, Head of Customer Racing at Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. “The team has a proven track record of nurturing young talent, including drivers who have since established themselves as leading figures in international motorsport.”

“It is an honour for us to have been selected by the SRO to take part in this unique project,” said Timo Rumpfkeil, team principal and owner of Team Motopark. “I am convinced that, with our experience in nurturing young talent, we can add significant value. Together with the SRO, we are developing a comprehensive programme to ensure that SRO GT Academy graduates receive the best possible support.”

“As an experienced professional team with a growing reputation in GT racing, Team Motopark was the ideal candidate to lead our SRO GT Academy entry at next year’s 24 Hours of Spa,” added Stéphane Ratel, founder and CEO of the SRO Motorsports Group. “Their track record in working with young talent is truly exceptional, and I am confident they will give our winning drivers the opportunity to shine.”

As the season draws to a close, the leading contenders for a place in the SRO GT Academy have emerged in each series. Tom Sargent, Yu Kuai and Oscar Targett lead the overall standings in the GT World Challenge America, Asia and Australia respectively, whilst Jarrod Waberski tops the British GT table.

The SRO GT Academy assesses drivers based on factors such as speed and consistency, shifting the focus from results to performance in order to discover the best all-round talents. It was launched last year in the Championnat de France FFSA GT, with Gaspard Simon proving to be an outstanding driver.

This year, the programme has been expanded and now includes a starting place at the Spa 24 Hours in a Mercedes-AMG fielded by Team Motopark, as well as a third component in the GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli, where SRO GT Academy candidates will compete for a place in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup with Mercedes-AMG Motorsport. The team fielding this car will be announced at a later date.