Mercedes-AMG GT3 Art Car as homage to the ‘Green Hell’ theme
Return to Imola: Curtain-raiser for first triple-header of 2023
The 2023 F1 season shifts up another gear in mid-May when the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix is staged as the first of three races on successive weekends. The triple-header begins at the tradition-steeped Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in Imola, before moving on to Monaco and Barcelona.
Imola regained its status as a host venue for the premier class of motor racing in the 2020 season, in which Lewis Hamilton ran out winner for the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. The two subsequent Grands Prix were, however, won by Max Verstappen. Before the circuit near Bologna was dropped from the F1 itinerary, it had staged the race 27 times between 1980 and 2006, once as the Italian Grand Prix but otherwise under the title of San Marino GP.
Michael Schumacher, who shares the record for most World Championship titles with Lewis, also holds the record for race wins at Imola (seven). Schumacher started from pole on five occasions, which puts him second behind the immortal Ayrton Senna who qualified first at Imola no fewer than eight times. Williams and Ferrari are the two most successful teams at this venue (eight wins each), while McLaren occupy the top spot for number of pole positions (nine).
The most successful engine manufacturer at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari is Renault (nine victories), ahead of Mercedes-AMG (seven) and Honda (six). The absolute lap record is held by Valtteri Bottas with a time of 1:13.609 set in 2020. The fastest race lap was clocked by Lewis in the same year in a time of 1:15.484.
Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed fields ‘Art Car’ at the 24h Nürburgring
The 51st ADAC TotalEnergies 24-hour race will be contested on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife next weekend. The legendary circuit in the Eifel region, which has been the setting for many historic races overt the past century, has always been closely associated with the Mercedes-AMG brand. Two overall victories in the 24-hour race in 2013 and 2016 consolidated this close connection. Mercedes’ deep roots at the Nürburgring will once again come to the fore in this year’s edition of the endurance classic in the Eifel hills with the entry of a specially designed ‘Art Car’.
The number 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered by Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed has been decorated by Andrew Mytro with a striking green livery that is a moving and animated tribute to the ‘Green Hell’, a nickname first given to the circuit by Sir Jackie Stewart. The amazing design marks the further extension to 2026 of the partnership between AMG and the Nürburgring. Since this close relationship was established in 2017, AMG has had a high commercial visibility at the circuit, and the brand has also provided the official ‘Beast of the Green Hell’ Mercedes-AMG GT R co-pilot vehicles.
Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing is also pleased to announce a return to the #WorldsFastestFamily at the 24-hour race: Edoardo Mortara (SUI) joins the line-up as the fourth driver in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 #4 entered by Mercedes-AMG Team BILSTEIN. The additional nomination was also made because his compatriot Philip Ellis was not feeling 100% fit at the beginning of the week. In the past, Mortara celebrated victories with Mercedes-AMG in the FIA GT World Cup in Macau and in the DTM. He also has plenty of experience in the notorious “Green Hell”.
