RAM Racing is reprising Mercedes-AMG’s famous D2 livery at the Gulf 12 Hours next month (December 9-11).
Reigning Intelligent Money British GT champion Ian Loggie will drive the Pro-Am class entry alongside his title rival Morgan Tillbrook and DTM star Mikael Grenier.
Mercedes-AMG has yet to reveal which of its cars will receive up to four Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli nominations. However, with only three Pro cars permitted there’s every chance that RAM’s DTM and FIA GT inspired design will be on IGTC’s list.
Now owned by Vodafone, D2 was a German telecommunications company whose logos adorned Mercedes-AMG’s factory C Class and CLK GTR/LM racers in the 1990s and early 2000s. The logo and colour scheme is perhaps most synonymous with Bernd Schneider who won both the DTM and FIA GT World Championship using the distinctive silver, blue and red colour scheme.
RAM, meanwhile, returns to Yas Marina for the first time since January 2021 when its Mercedes-AMG GT3 featured another classic, Sonax-inspired livery and finished third overall.
This is also the second time Loggie and Tillbrook have raced together, as the pair shared a class podium in the last Gulf 12 Hours back in January.
And there’s also a connection with Grenier who shared a car with Loggie during this year’s Asian Le Mans Series.
“I’m really excited to get going in the Gulf 12 Hours this year,” said Loggie. “It’s been a massively busy season for me, with British GT, GT Cup, Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe, Radicals in the UAE and 24-hour races in Dubai and Portimão… so the Gulf 12 Hours should cap my year off nicely, and I certainly can’t complain about having too much racing!
“I’m excited to share the car with Morgan and Mik, too. I know Morgan well and we shared a Mercedes-AMG in the last Gulf 12 Hours back in January. We’ve been competitors all season in British GT, so I know exactly how quick he is, and I’m really looking forward to working with Mik again. I feel we’ve got a great chance of a Pro-Am win.”
Tillbrook ultimately finished third in this year’s British GT standings but, just like his championship-winning co-driver, won two races. He now swaps his usual McLaren 720S for the same Mercedes-AMG with which Loggie clinched the title at Donington Park last month.
“I really enjoyed the Gulf 12 Hours last time, so when this chance came up to join RAM Racing I jumped at it!” he said. I’m really looking forward to experiencing working with the team, as I know they’re a top outfit, so I have zero doubts that we’ll have a competitive car under us. I get on really well with Ian, and we won the Pro-Am class together back in January, but obviously the last time I saw him we were rivals for the British GT title!
“I really enjoy working with different Pro drivers, so I’m hoping to learn a few things from driving with Mik. I also enjoy driving the Mercedes-AMG. Being front-engined it’s very different to the mid-engined McLaren I usually race. The AMG has very good traction out of slow corners and is strong in technical sections, which is what Abu Dhabi is all about. We’re definitely going in looking for that Pro-Am victory.”
Grenier added: “First of all, I’m really happy to be part of this RAM Racing team. It’s a team I’ve known for a long while but never raced with before, and Jules [Gounon, fellow AMG driver] has told me some great things about them, so I’m excited to see what we can do together.
“It will also be the first time I’ve raced with Morgan, but I know he and Ian are two of the best Am drivers in British GT, so I know we’ll be a competitive trio. The car itself also looks amazing. The D2 livery is such an iconic livery for Mercedes-AMG and for the DTM. It will be amazing to get to compete with it.”