Picariello Out Front After Three Hours at Bathurst

Photo: GruppeC Photography/SRO

Alessio Picariello led the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour after three hours completed, following several significant accidents for GT3 contenders.

Picariello held a 0.861-second advantage over the No. 46 Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 of Charles Weerts, with teammate Kelvin van der Linde third in the No. 32 entry.

A well-timed first yellow, for the No. 77 Craft-Bamboo Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo that ended up in the gravel after contact with the No. 26 Arise Racing GT Ferrari 296 GT3 of Will Brown, put the pair of BMWs out front.

While no further action was made on the incident, contact between Kenny Habul’s No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG and the Ian James-driven No. 27 Heart of Racing by SPS Mercedes-AMG resulted in a 15-second pit stop time penalty for Habul.

A heavy accident for the No. 25 Method Motorsport McLaren Artura GT4, which collected the No. 44 Geyer Valmont Racing/Tigani Motorsport Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II, resulted in a second yellow.

It came after the No. 222 Scott Taylor Motorsport Mercedes-AMG retired after Craig Lowndes brushed the wall and damaged the driveshaft and left-rear tire.

The race’s biggest incident, however, came in the third hour when Habul and the No. 4 Grove Racing Mercedes-AMG of Stephen Grove collided at Skyline, resulting in Grove’s car nearly going over the wall and bringing out the third yellow of the day.

No further action was made by race control of the incident.

Picariello also benefited from a yellow to maintain his lead in the Absolute Racing Porsche 911 GT3 R.

The No. 888 GruppeM Racing Mercedes-ANG of Maxime Martin ran fourth, with Daniel Serra having completed the top-five in the No. 26 Arise GT Ferrari.

Zach Robichon led the Bronze class after rebounding from co-driver James’ spin, while the No. 14 Volante Rosso Motorsport Aston Martin Vantage GT3 was out front of the Silver class, despite serving a penalty for a safety car infringement.

Pro-Am sees the No. 36 Arise GT Ferrari out front in class.