A successful season opener in the VLN Langstreckenmeisterschaft: AMG-Team Black Falcon claims third place with its 6 #mercedesamggt3, HARIBO #racing Team-AMG comes fourth with its 8 #mercedesamggt3 at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife. In total, six #mercedesamggt3 and one SLS AMG GT3 competed in the first VLN round of the 2016 season.No less than 174 competitors, 30 of them in the GT3 class alone, took the start in the first VLN round with a duration of four hours. After a thrilling finale, Bernd Schneider (GER), Maro Engel (GER), Adam Christodoulou (GBR) and Manuel Metzger (GER) secured third place overall for the AMG-Team Black Falcon, driving their
#mercedesamggt3 with starting number 6. The quartet of Uwe Alzen (GER), Lance David Arnold (GER), Maximilian Götz (GER) and Jan Seyffarth (GER) followed immediately behind, bringing the HARIBO
#racing Team-AMG
#mercedesamggt3 with starting number 8 across the finish line in fourth place.AMG-Team HTP Motorsport with Christian Vietoris (GER), Renger van der Zande (NED), Christian Hohenadel (GER) and Marco Seefried (GER) saw its 16
#mercedesamggt3 finish 13th overall after 28 laps while the sister car with starting number 26 retired after having innocently become involved in an accident. The HTP Motorsport gullwing with starting number 14, the only SLS AMG GT3 in the field, finished in 27th place. Moritz Oestreich (GER), Clemens Schmid (AUT) and Steve Jans (LUX) alternated behind the wheel.AMG-Team Black Falcon’s second
#mercedesamggt3, the 9 car with Hubert Haupt (GER), Nico Bastian (GER), Yelmer Buurman (NED) and Dirk Müller (GER) was classified 14th. The 7 Black Falcon
#mercedesamggt3 retired early after innocently having become involved in a collision.
Adam Christodoulou, AMG-Team Black Falcon: “I am very happy with this podium finish in the season opener. The entire team has done a great job. Of course, we still have work to do.”
Lance David Arnold, HARIBO #racing Team-AMG: “Today’s season opener was a thrilling affair and driving the new
#mercedesamggt3 at the Nordschleife was highly enjoyable. Unfortunately, we just missed out on a podium finish, but I am looking forward to the future outings.”
Jochen Bitzer, head of AMG Customer Sports: “We are happy with the result of the first VLN round. However, the opposition is strong and we know that we still have some work to do before the season highlight, the 24-hour race.”The race result* at a glance:
Pos. | Startingnumber | Car/Team | Drivers | Laps |
3rd | 6 | Mercedes-AMG GT3 / AMG-Team Black Falcon | Bernd Schneider, Maro Engel, Adam Christodoulou, Manuel Metzger | 28 |
4th | 8 | Mercedes-AMG GT3 / HARIBO #racing Team-AMG | Uwe Alzen, Lance David Arnold, Maximilian Götz, Jan Seyffarth | 28 |
13th | 16 | Mercedes-AMG GT3 / AMG-Team HTP Motorsport | Christian Vietoris, Renger van der Zande, Christian Hohenadel, Marco Seefried | 28 |
14th | 9 | Mercedes-AMG GT3 / AMG-Team Black Falcon | Hubert Haupt, Yelmer Buurman, Nico Bastian, Dirk Müller | 28 |
27th | 14 | Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 / HTP Motorsport | Moritz Oestreich, Clemens Schmid, Steve Jans | 27 |
DNF | 26 | Mercedes-AMG GT3 / AMG-Team HTP Motorsport | Dominik Baumann, Maximilian Buhk, Stefan Mücke, Thomas Jäger | 10 |
DNF | 7 | Mercedes-AMG GT3 / Black Falcon | Abdulaziz Al Faisal, Gerwin Schuring, Indy Dontje | 9 |
* subject to confirmation by the organisers
Further information about the race: www.vln.deMore information about AMG Customer Sports may be found at www.mercedes-amg.com/customersports