Broken belt prevented deserved podium finish
At the Hankook 24h Dubai the team SPS automotive performance from Willsbach showed an outstanding performance in all areas, but it was not rewarded in the end. Already with best times in the free practice and in the night training, the team around Stephan Sohn showed, that the competitors have to reckon with the team SPS in the fight for the top places. The Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 and the drivers were perfectly prepared for the challenges of this unique 24H endurance race. After qualifying on Thursday it was, as the best SLS in the field, grid position 9 for the race, which started on Friday 14 P.M.
At the beginning the team was able to access the Top 10: After 1.5 hours it was Position 7. The driver quartet Lance David Arnold, Valentin Pierburg, Tim Müller and Alex Müller showed a flawless performance over the whole race! The first stint driven by Lance David Arnold and handed in the first pit stop on Valentin Pierburg. Also all of the following pit stops ran without problems and the car ran perfectly. This was also reflected in the further progress of the race where the pilots in the SLS AMG GT3 gradually fighting for the top and found themselves halfway through the race at P5 overall. 4 hours prior to finish they had driven up to rank 4! Finally, there were only 1.5 hours to the finish line and the SPS Mercedes could now even reach 3rd place! Thus, the podium was within sight. Unfortunately, the technology threw the whole team a spanner in the works: One hour before crossing the finish line the belt of the water pump broke! The team did everything possible to repair the damage, but the engine was not starting after the replacement of the belt and the team unfortunately had to finish the race.
Stephan Sohn:
It is certainly sad to have to finish the race just before the end like that. The disappointment is there, but is made up for with the pride of this outstanding team performance! Whether drivers, mechanics or vehicle, with this strong field in the GT3 class this was an absolute top achievement from all those involved! I want to give my thanks to the whole team for the shown performance!