The GruppeM Mercedes-AMG team seized the lead at the halfway point of the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, thanks to a strategically timed safety car period. The No. 15 Volante Rosso Motorsport McLaren 720S GT3 Evo, driven by Rylan Gray, hit the barriers at the Esses late in the fifth hour, triggering the fourth caution of the Intercontinental GT Challenge season opener. This presented an opportunity for the No. 888 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, driven by Maxime Martin, to pit under caution and hand over the car to Mikael Grenier, who emerged in the lead. The 75 Express Mercedes-AMG also took advantage of the yellow flag to pit, further solidifying their position. Conversely, Earl Bamber’s JMR Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, which had been in the lead, was among a minority of cars that had already pitted, bringing an end to a three-hour, 20-minute period of green flag running. Bamber had taken the lead after a quick-fire pass on Valentino Rossi’s Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 EVO, but lost ground in the pits. With the race resuming just before halfway, Grenier led Jules Gounon in the 75 Express car, which performed a brake change under caution. Augusto Farfus, who took over the No. 46 car from Rossi prior to the caution, ran in third place. The No. 222 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG of Thomas Randle, who repelled an assault by Ben Barnicoat’s No. 95 Optimum Motorsport McLaren at Griffin’s Corner on the first lap after the restart, was in fourth place. The STM Mercedes-AMG had been involved in a tough battle with Rossi’s BMW in the hands of Cam Waters, who was forced out wide at The Chase but managed to pass the nine-time motorcycle world champion not long after at Turn 1. Lucas Auer took advantage of Barnicoat being nudged wide to grab sixth in the No. 77 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG. Sims opted to bring the No. 2 Corvette back into the pits for a second time under caution, and ran seventh as a result behind Barnicoat. Klaus Bachler was the best of the Porsche 911 GT3 R drivers in eighth for EBM, just ahead of brand stablemate Bastian Buus in the Absolute Racing car. The safety car also boosted the No. 32 WRT BMW, which had gone a lap down due to earlier damage from a kangaroo strike, allowing it to get back on the lead lap and run 12th in the hands of Charles Weerts. Leading the Bronze Cup class was the Herberth Motorsport Porsche of Alfred Renauer, just ahead of Ryan Wood’s Tempesta Ziggo-backed Arise Racing GT Ferrari 296 GT3, while Pro-Am was led by the GWR/RAM Mercedes-AMG of Garth Walden. Grove Racing’s Mercedes-AMG lost eight laps due to a splitter problem and ran 26th of the 32 cars still circulating at halfway. Jamie Klein, Sportscar365's Asian editor, covers the FIA World Endurance Championship and SUPER GT, among other series, from his base in Japan.
