The AMG-Driver Maximilian Buhk suffered a difficult start into this year´s season. At the first race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge, the Liqui-Moly Bathurst 12 Hours in Australia, the German was not able to end the race with a satisfying result, following several setbacks. After 11th place in qualifying, Buhk and his STRAKKA Racing team-mates, Maximilian Götz and Alvaro Parente, finished in 28th place with the #56 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
After the second place in 2014, the 25-year-old had his eyes on another podium finish upon his return to Australia. With eight-fastest in free practice and P11 in qualifying, the team was full of hopes for the long race. Buhk took to the wheel of the #56 Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the start in total darkness on Sunday morning and was able to keep the position. After an early Safety Car, Buhk ended up into the barriers, after a three-way-battle between Buhk´s Mercedes, a sister car as well as a Porsche took place on lap 30. Despite getting the car back into the pits for a safety check, the team lost two laps to the lead of the race.
Buhk´s team-mate and last year´s winner, Parente, suffered more bad luck with a broken dumper during his stint. After this further setback of the #56, Buhk and his team took the Bathurst 12 Hours as a testing ground – finishing the race in P28 eventually.
“Despite all the drama it was a lot of fun to race here again”, said the 25-year-old. “The track is just great and therefore I was even more disappointed that our race was pretty much over after the first hour without having had the chance to finish in the Top-10. To work with STRAKKA Racing and my team-mates was great and I would like to thank them for their good job.”
The second race of the Intercontinental GT Challenge will be the Total 24 Hours of Spa at the end of July, which will also go towards the points standings of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup.
