After a lengthy break, SPS automotive performance will again contest a full season in the International GT Open. The team from Willsbach will field two Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the opening round of the season in Estoril, Portugal. The Swiss duo of Dexter Müller and Yannick Mettler will share the cockpit of the #54 car. Reema Juffali (KSA) and Adam Christodoulou (GBR) will alternate at the wheel of the #18 car.
After two years away, the Mercedes-AMG GT3 of SPS automotive performance are returning to action in the International GT Open. The Willsbach-based team can look back on a long success story in this popular series, with fond memories of many victories and titles. The highlight of this success story was the Pro-Am championship in 2018. SPS automotive performance will now go in pursuit of points in the 2022 International GT Open, which takes place at seven circuits in seven countries.
Sharing the driving duties in the #54 Mercedes-AMG GT3 will be the Swiss pair of Dexter Müller and Yannick Mettler. Müller and Mettler have raced together in their black and red GT3 car in the Michelin Le Mans Cup in the past. While Müller took a two-year break from racing, due to the coronavirus pandemic, Mettler drove for SPS automotive performance in last year’s GT World Challenge Europe. The duo will contest 14 races in the Pro-Am class in the International GT Open.
The second car from SPS automotive performance will compete in the first two rounds with the starting number 18. Reema Juffali, the first female racing driver from Saudi Arabia, is set for her first full season in a GT3 series. Juffali impressed on her debut in the Mercedes-AMG GT3, when she played a big part in securing second place for SPS automotive performance in the GT3-AM class at the 24 Hours of Dubai at the start of the year. She now turns her attention to the International GT Open, in which she faces the challenge of contesting a full season in a field of sports cars. She shares driving duties with the extremely experienced GT3 driver Adam Christodoulou. The Nordschleife specialist and winner of the 2016 Nürburgring 24 Hours has spent many years driving GT cars from Mercedes-AMG all over the world and can look back on a host of successes. During the season, it is planned that the #18 Mercedes-AMG GT3 will contest the remaining races in the International GT Open as an independent team.
This season-opener in the 2022 International GT Open takes place from 29th April to 1st May at Circuito do Estoril and will offer a first indication of where SPS automotive performance stands compared to its fellow competitors.
Reema Juffali, #18 Mercedes-AMG GT3: “It’s going to be great being behind the wheel again with SPS Automotive Performance this weekend in Estoril for the opening round of the GT Open Championship. It’s been a couple of months since my second-place finish at the Dubai 24 Hours earlier this year, which is one of my proudest achievements to-date. GT racing is something that I’m really excited about and like every race that I have taken part in, every competition will provide challenges and opportunities to learn, the International GT Open Championship will be no different. I know that I need to be at the top of my game as there’s some strong competition but I’m excited to get started.”
Stephan Sohn, team principal SPS automotive performance: “We are very happy to be back in the International GT Open. We have enjoyed a lot of success and celebrated one of our first titles in this series. We hope to follow on from our past success this season.”
