Mercedes-AMG Secures WEC LMGT3 Entry For 2025

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It was originally rumored back in early October, and that rumor has proven to be true.

Breaking early Wednesday morning Stateside, Mercedes-AMG and the FIA announced that the German manufacturer has secured a bid for a pair of LMGT3 entries for next season in the WEC, replacing Lamborghini as the driving partner for the Iron Lynx. 

The move will serve as the debut for Mercedes in the WEC, while their return to Le Mans will take place 26 years after they last raced at the historic circuit.

In the first week of October, Racer.com predicted the exact sequence of events when they first reported of the struggles Lamborghini were facing with a bloated budget for the SC63 Hypercar and the underperforming Huracan in regards to competitiveness and reliability. They detailed that Lambo were preparing for the likelihood of pulling the SC63 out of the WEC and reducing their GT program by axing their relationship with the Iron Lynx. In doing so, that would open the space on the grid for Mercedes to jump in and take their place, all while quickly being homologated to meet the LMGT3 specifications. 

And yeah that all happened exactly as predicted - 

 

So there's a bunch to unpack here with the news becoming official, and to be frank all of it is exciting, even if the Lamborghini casualty is a part of the happenings.

For starters, having a heavyweight contender like Mercedes enter into the World Endurance Championship is all-time incredible news. You always felt like there was something lacking with AMG not being on the grid in a tournament that showcases the best of the best for sportscars, so correcting that glitch in the Matrix is awesome news for all race fans.

Second, it is the foot in the door that Mercedes requires to gain serious traction for their Hypercar program, which is also rumored to be at the forefront of their racing plans of the future. The WEC and FIA want manufacturers that are represented in both the HY and LMGT3 categories, a new mandate that played a part in Lamborghini bowing out of the picture. Now that Mercedes earned themselves a spot on the GT grid, expect their Hypercar plans to crystalize quickly.

Lastly, as was previously mentioned, the writing was on the wall for Lamborghini for months as they are facing a transition period with both their GT and Hypercar programs; just last week they announced the successor to the Huracan - the Temerario - set to debut for the 2026 season. Without needing to support their biggest racing outfit in the Iron Lynx for 2025, they can reset themselves across the board and begin preparing the world for their new car in 2026, and ideally a return to the Hypercar grid with a better developed and better performing SC63.



(photo via mercedes-fans.de.com)

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