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Jules Gounon has turn out to be the primary driver to win three Bathurst 12-hour races after guiding house the Solar Power 1 Mercedes AMG GT3 to back-to-back wins at Mount Panorama.
The Frenchman carried his profitable type from the Daytona 24 hour GTD Professional class final weekend to pip Queenslander Matt Campbell within the Manthey EMA Porsche entry and Daytona teammate, Maro Engel in Gruppe M Racing Mercedes, to jot down himself into Mount Panorama historical past books.
Alongside Kenny Habul and Luca Stolz, who had been victorious in 2022, Gounon navigated a dramatic shut across the Bathurst circuit to fend off a late push by Campbell on brisker tires and seal victory after 323 laps and a report 2006 kilometers of racing.
Heading into the ultimate 120 minutes of Sunday’s race, three automobiles remained in rivalry with Raffaele Marciello within the Gruppe M Mercdes in entrance, Campbell in second and Stolz third.
All three automobiles required one final cease and Marciello was the primary in, Engel changing him and Campbell following swimsuit into the pit lane.
Engel would depart the pits first on new tires and his cease was coated by then chief Gounon for his last gasoline cease.
The race was on and identical to in 2022, Engel would chase Gounon to the end.
He was rapidly inside lower than a second of the lead and with 46 minutes remaining, Engel made his transfer.
A courageous lunge down the within at The Chase ended with Engel hitting the rear facet of Gounon and spinning him off the monitor.
He was assessed a pit lane drive via penalty by Motorsport Australia race officers, which he ultimately took with 35 minutes remaining, returning to the sector in third.
Solely 9 seconds coated the highest three because the race entered its last minutes however Campbell’s late push was not sufficient as Gounon held on for a Mount Panorama three-peat, with the rostrum separated by simply 1.four seconds.
“These guys, they carried the automotive, they did the majority of the driving, and Luca was unbelievable,” Habul informed reporters.
“It was our day and actually I simply assume on the finish there it was so troublesome and Jules made the distinction.”
Gounon mentioned the report of three wins was not on his thoughts heading into Sunday’s race as a result of complexity of the Bathurst monitor.
“I do not take into consideration the report or something, this place is so humble,” he mentioned.
“On this place if you end up not in day… instantly this place makes you humble.
“That is what we love about this place: it’s essential respect the monitor, the historical past once you drive flat out to the wall with Maro searching you down or Matty Campbell… it is a troublesome feeling.”
With the win in entrance of a report 53,446 crowd over three days at Mount Panorama, Mercedes at the moment are tied with Audi for 3 victories at Bathurst within the GT period.
-AAP
