The 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour is shaping up to be a thrilling event, with a diverse field of drivers and teams ready to battle it out on the track. But here's where it gets controversial... The race is set to feature a record-breaking number of participants, with six drivers taking part in the Intercontinental GT Challenge Independent Cup. Among them is defending champion Kenny Habul, who will face stiff competition from the likes of Prince Jefri Ibrahim, Kerong Li, and Johannes Zelger. And this is the part most people miss... The rules allow each driver to take a drop score, enabling FIA Bronze-rated drivers like Li to skip a race, which adds an extra layer of strategy and intrigue to the competition. But wait, there's more... Four drivers are racing under derogated driver ratings this weekend, including Li, who is Bronze* and eligible for the Independent Cup. This includes newly minted McLaren GT3 junior driver Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer (Silver), Andreas Pato (Bronze), and Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim (Bronze*). Now, let's dive into the details... The No. 15 Volante Rosso Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo missed the opening practice session due to gearbox issues, but Rylan Gray managed to complete two laps in Practice 3. The team recently took delivery of the car and completed a shakedown at Queensland Raceway. Meanwhile, the first three practice sessions ran smoothly without any red flags or major incidents, except for a heavy accident involving the No. 7 Team NZ Aston Martin Vantage GT4 of Graeme Dowsett, who slammed into the wall at Reid Park after contact with the No. 21 Herberth Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3 R. Now, let's talk tires... The Pirelli P Zero DHG tire is making its Australian race debut this weekend, and it's a big deal. The new compound was introduced in most SRO Motorsports Group-run series last year, except for GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, but it will be utilized this year beginning with next month's season opener at Phillip Island. Pirelli's calendar comprises of more than 400 races over 70 non-Formula 1 championships staged in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Oceania. Now, let's hear from the drivers... Maxime Martin expressed confidence that Mercedes-AMG should be able to fight for a first Bathurst 12 Hour victory since 2023, helped by the reset in fuel allocation for every GT3 car. The Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo sees a 3-liter reduction, dropping to 106 liters, while last year's winning manufacturer BMW has dropped from 108 liters to 100. Martin told Sportscar365: 'Fuel consumption was a bit of a weakness for us last year, so if we can make this step and be equal on this side, it will help us. We have to see how the general pace is because last year BMW was managing the fuel and was still fastest, so I hope we can come back and be closer.' Now, let's talk about Ford... Two-time Bathurst 12 Hour winner Chris Mies, who makes his first race start since 2023, said it's been a 'dream come true' to race a Ford at Mount Panorama, having teamed up with fellow former event winner Dennis Olsen and Repco Supercars star Broc Feeney, who is making his Mustang GT3 debut. Mies told Sportscar365: 'A big dream of mine is to do the Bathurst 1000 in a Ford. The race is fantastic, as we know. When I signed with Ford Racing the first year, my hope was for us to one day go to Bathurst. Now the dream has finally come true.' Ford would have 'welcomed' a second or additional Mustang GT3 entries this weekend according to its global sports car manager Alex Allmandinger, who said HRT's single-car factory-supported effort was by design for the car's first trip to Mount Panorama. Now, let's talk about Porsche... Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific has more than doubled its presence this weekend at Bathurst to reflect its expanded five-car effort, up from two cars from 2025. PMAP managing director Alexandre Gibot told Sportscar365: 'This year we have more than ten people, including technical support, performance support, doctor and physio. Very happy with the package we have here and we are happy to have [Pro] teams from the region, Absolute Racing and EBM, which matches Porsche’s philosophy for the IGTC.' Now, let's talk about the future... In addition to his planned Nürburgring 24 debut, 75 Express team owner/driver Habul is plotting a GTWC Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup program this year where his team would take part in all rounds except the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. The effort is understood to be subject to an entry by SRO, with the Endurance Cup field facing an oversubscribed grid. Lastly, let's talk about the race schedule... Saturday’s track action continues with two 60-minute practice sessions, followed by qualifying and the 15-minute Pirelli Pole Battle, which is set to get underway at 4:15 p.m. local time (12:15 a.m. ET) with live coverage of all sessions on SRO’s GT World YouTube channel.
