Tales from the paddock: More GT3 and GT4 successes for Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

From Le Castellet to Fuji: Mercedes-AMG Motorsport teams and drivers in further podium appearances and class victories around the world

• This is what happened: Results and facts
• News from the Mercedes-AMG Motorsport teams
• Social media news: What's new online?

This is what happened: Results and facts

• Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup: Two class wins for the Mercedes-AMG GT3s fielded by AKKA ASP
• GT4 European Series: Max Koebolt and Jan Kisiel on the podium at Le Castellet
• Belcar Endurance Championship: One-two in class for Customer Racing team VEIDEC Silver Eagle Racing by GetSpeed at Zolder
• Super Taikyu: Class victory for the Mercedes-AMG GT4 in the 24-hour race at Fuji Speedway

News snippets

Canada, here we come: The Île Notre-Dame is calling. This coming weekend, the highest echelon of motor racing will be hosted for the 40th time by the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. It will also be the 50th Canadian Grand Prix, now traditionally staged in Montreal, but on eight previous occasions at Mosport and twice at Mont-Tremblant. The track, located on an island in the middle of the St Lawrence River, has proved to be a happy hunting ground for Lewis Hamilton. The five-time world champion has so far registered six race wins there - only record world championship winner Michael Schumacher has more with a tally of seven. Lewis and Michael are on level pegging in terms of pole positions at six each. There have been nine wins for Mercedes-powered cars, three of them for Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport (2015, 2016, 2017). Valtteri also has fond memories of Canada: he has made podium appearances in each of the last four races in Montreal.

Two class victories in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup: In the high-calibre six-hour race at Circuit Paul Ricard in southern France, there were two class wins for Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing courtesy of Team AKKA ASP. Nico Bastian (GER), Timur Boguslavskiy (RUS) and Felipe Fraga (BRA) prevailed in the Silver Cup to retain their lead in this classification of the Endurance Cup as well as in the overall standings of the Blancpain GT Series. Meanwhile, their team-mates Jean-Luc Beaubelique, Jim Pla (both FRA) and Mauro Ricci (ITA) were celebrating success in the Pro-Am stakes. Tom Onslow-Cole, Darren Burke (both GBR) and Remon Vos (NED) of RAM Racing took the runner-up spot to make it a one-two in the Pro-Am category. The number 6 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of BLACK FALCON mounted an impressive charge after starting from way back in 22nd place. The trio of Hubert Haupt, Patrick Assenheimer (both GER) and Gabriele Piana (ITA) crossed the finish line in 14th, which was enough for them to secure third place in the Silver Cup. By contrast, defending champion Raffaele Marciello (ITA) partnered by the previous overall leaders Maro Engel, Luca Stolz (both GER) and Yelmer Buurman (NED) had a frustrating weekend in France, coming away empty-handed.

Podium finishes in the GT4 European Series: Leipert Motorsport were the most successful of the Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing contingent in the GT4 European Series which was also contested at the Paul Ricard Circuit. The second race on Sunday brought a P3 in the general classification for Max Koebolt (NED) and Jan Kisiel (POL) as well as a P2 in the Pro-Am class for Marcus Paverud (NOR) and Luca-Sandro Trefz (GER). Paverud and Trefz continue to top the table in the Pro-Am championship. Max Koebolt and Jan Kisiel are in second place in the Silver Cup standings at the halfway point of the season.

Another one-two finish in the Belcar Endurance Championship: The VEIDEC Silver Eagle Racing by GetSpeed Customer Racing outfit continues to go from success to success in the Belcar Endurance Championship. At Circuit Zolder, the team's two Mercedes-AMG GT4s once again finished first and second in class: Kenneth Heyer (GER) and Wim Spinoy (BEL) won the three-hour race ahead of their team-mates Michael Cool and Bart van Samang (both BEL). Together with the one-two wins on both days of the season opener, this was the third clean sweep in a row.

Class victory in the 24-hour race at Fuji: After starting from seventh place in the Super Taikyu, the foursome of Hideki Yamauchi, Yudai Uchida, Tsubasa Takahashi and Shinnosuke Yamada battled through to P4 overall at the end of the 24 hours. The Mercedes-AMG GT4 entered by the Japanese Endless Sports team also secured the GT4 class victory, as in all three previous races of the season.

Social Media News

#PurePitWall: Our Motorsport Strategy Director James Vowles answers questions from fans about the Monaco GP, including the decision to send Lewis out on medium tyres and the reasons for the double stop.

Watch video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPX7car-XL8

#Onboard: Take a seat in the cockpit of the W07 world championship-winning car as our simulator and development driver Esteban Gutierrez puts in a lap of the 2019 Sonoma Speed Festival.

Watch video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aaGypnNgwM

#BlancpainGT: Review of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup at Circuit Paul Ricard from the perspective of the AKKA ASP trio who won the Silver Cup class.

Watch video: www.facebook.com/MercedesAMGCustomerRacing/videos/474661849947222