Mercedes squad reveals Bathurst line-up, livery

Tigani Motorsport and Valmont Racing will join forces with a Mercedes entry for the 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour.

The car, entered in the Silver class, will be led by Aaron Cameron and Duvashen Padayachee.

Cameron and Padayachee join car owners Marcel Zalloua and Sergio Pires.

Young gun Cameron has a S5000 Tasman Series title (2021) and wins in TCR Australia.

He recently represented Australia in the TCR category at the FIA Motorsport Games, before taking S5000 victory in Adelaide.

before returning home for the Adelaide 500 where he claimed victory in S5000.

Padayachee claimed Bathurst class victories in 2017 and 2018, and most recently raced in Porsche Carrera Cup.

Zalloua and Pires partnered for the back half of the 2022 Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS season.

It has been a race against time for Pires, who broke his collarbone in a crash in Adelaide.

It came after Zalloua and Pires claimed Trophy Class victories at Tailem Bend and Bathurst.

The Mercedes will sport a new livery for the 12 Hour, along wth backing from Est Lighting, Vittoria Coffee, Rentcorp Hyundai Forklifts and Pacific Road Capital.

“It’s pretty cool to be getting ready for the Bathurst 12 Hour and my first ever race in a GT3 car,” Cameron said.

"I’ve been working towards this for a few years now, with two 12 hour starts in a MARC car, but this will be a whole new level.

"There isn’t a better team to do it with either, the operation that’s started up at Tigani Motorsport recently is progressing really well.

“Importantly it’s a good bunch of people that just enjoy their racing.”

Pires added: “It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster of emotion since Adelaide.

"When I thought initially that I wasn’t going to be able to do the 12 hour I was pretty upset, and it put into perspective how much I actually loved to go racing.

“A lot of people have been asking me if the incident put me off at all, but if anything it’s made me even hungrier to get back behind the wheel.

"We should be in with a real shot in Silver Class.”

Tickets for the 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour are on sale now on Ticketek.com.