Mercedes Set For Le Mans Return, Confirms WEC Entry Too

Mercedes-Benz confirmed plans to return to the famed Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race.

German automaker Mercedes-Benz is reportedly set on making a return to race at the world famous Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race. Part of which includes the marque’s entry into the World Endurance Championship (WEC) series.

The latter sees the marque confirming its entry into the highly competitive endurance racing championship with the Iron Lynx team. The automaker will race for the first time in WEC in its LMGT3 class using its highly successful Mercedes-AMG GT3 racecar with the team mentioned.

Mercedes-AMG GT3 in the GT World Challenge Asia. The GT3-spec racecar has proven popular and highly competitive in the hands of customer teams across various GT3 championships worldwide.

The Mercedes-AMG GT3 has proven to be a popular and highly competitive machine in the hands of customer teams competing in various GT3 class championships worldwide. Additionally, the marque’s GT3 racer mentioned has also charted wins at the 24-hour Spa and Nurburgring endurance races too.

These factors have enabled Mercedes to earn a spot on the Le Mans grid after a 26-year absence. The brand last competed at Le Mans in 1999 with its CLR LM-GTP, but this campaign proved ill-fated as said prototype racer’s flawed aerodynamics caused it to go airborne and flip twice at high speeds (see video below).

This latest reboot marks the three-point star’s third campaign in the famed enduro. The marque last won it in 1989 through the works Team Sauber Mercedes entry using a Group C-spec Sauber Mercedes C9 prototype racecar driven by Jochen Mass, Manuel Reuter and Stanley Dickens.

The effort also sees the Iron Lynx team forging a new partnership with the German automaker. Prior to which, the team represented Italian supercar marque Lamborghini in the LMGT3 class, as well as the premier Hypercar class using the SC63 LMDh prototype racer.

Mercedes last won Le Mans back in 1989 through the works Team Sauber Mercedes entry where it fielded the Group C-spec Sauber Mercedes C9.

Mercedes is set to become the 10th manufacturer to enter WEC’s LMGT3 class and will field two cars with Iron Lynx as per the series’ rules. For now, the team has named their first two drivers, those being Matteo Cressoni and Claudio Schiavoni.

It's no secret that we've been very keen for some time to bring the Three-pointed Star back to Le Mans. The 2025 season with the FIA WEC entry is the right moment – we are returning to La Sarthe after 26 years!” remarked Christoph Sagemuller, Head of Mercedes-AMG Motorsport.

Latest-generation Mercedes-AMG GT 63 Pro 4Matic+ pictured. The three-point star's performance arm could develop a new LMGT3 machine based on which.

Prior to this tie-up with Iron Lynx, the marque tried to earn an entry for the inaugural year of the revamped LMGT3 class, but eventually lost out when both the FIA governing body and Le Mans organisers ACO allowed just nine manufacturers in this field.

Additionally, the WEC’s move to expand the grid from 37 cars to perhaps a total of 40 plus the fewer than expected entries in the premier Hypercar category had created the space for Mercedes’ re-entry.