Iron Lynx Tests New Mercedes Machinery at Qatar 1812 km

Iron Lynx leveraged the Qatar 1812 km race to test their new Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 cars during the 2025 FIA WEC season opener. Despite facing technical challenges and retirements, the team emphasized the race as a valuable testing opportunity. Looking ahead, Iron Lynx aims for improvement in the upcoming race at Imola.

Iron Lynx utilized the Qatar 1812 km as a testing ground for their new Mercedes-AMG machinery during the opening round of the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship. Despite the promising potential, the team faced a challenging debut with two new Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 cars, treating the 10-hour race largely as a test session. This event also marked Mercedes’ inaugural appearance in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), alongside a vital introduction of their new torque sensors, previously tested by customer teams at the IMSA 24 Hours of Daytona.

During the race, Christian Reid encountered a technical malfunction that caused him to lose control of his 61 Mercedes-AMG, resulting in the car becoming stranded in a gravel trap. Concurrently, the 60 Mercedes faced complications that necessitated an extensive three-hour repair period, leading to both vehicles not finishing the race. Iron Lynx team principal Andrea Piccini expressed the team’s awareness of the considerable challenges presented, but remained optimistic about the insights gained from this experience.

Piccini noted, “We knew it was going to be a hard challenge, but we were hoping for something better. Still, we used the second part of the race as a test, and we made some positive steps.” He emphasized the significance of their first collaboration with Mercedes-AMG over a 10-day period, highlighting improvements in various operational and technical facets. Such learnings will be crucial as they progress to upcoming races.

Co-driver Maxime Martin reflected on the challenges, stating, “It was a big learning curve, and not the easiest weekend, but we had a lot of testing that allowed us to try different things.” He expressed disappointment over the retirement of car 61 but was eager to leverage the experience gained for better performances in future races, particularly at Imola. Iron Lynx will consider the upcoming 6 Hours of Imola a home race, with aspirations to achieve a competitive outcome.

With the 61’s withdrawal and 60’s non-classification due to not meeting the minimum distance requirement, Iron Lynx undoubtedly aims for a more favorable result in their next outing. The team anticipates capitalizing on the knowledge gained in Qatar to enhance their readiness and performance moving forward.

In conclusion, Iron Lynx faced a challenging debut of their new Mercedes-AMG machinery at the Qatar 1812 km, using the event primarily as a test. Despite the setbacks encountered, the team remains optimistic about the lessons learned and improvements made during this inaugural race. With the next event at home in Imola, they aim to capitalize on their experiences for a more competitive performance.

Original Source: www.motorsportweek.com