The Mercedes SLS AMG GT3 competed at the 2011 Dubai 24h race and best it could achieve was third place. This of course is not a bad result, since the Dubai race, as Mercedes had pointed out before, was the final leg in the SLS GT3’s development program. The car’s real career will begin in Europe later this year.

Three SLS GT3s were presents at the Dubai race, two belonging to the Black Falcon team, and one to the Heico Motorsport team. The first Black Falcon team with the starting number 7 was driven by Thomas Jäger (Munich/Germany, age 34) Jan Seyffarth (Querfurth/Germany, 24), Kenneth Heyer (Wegberg/Germany, 31) and Sean Paul Breslin (London/Great Britain, 31). After a total of 594 laps, the Black Falcon team finished four laps behind the winner.

Heico Motorsport’s SLS with Bernd Schneider (Bottighofen/Switzerland, age 46), Lance David Arnold (Duisburg/Germany, 24), Andreas Wirth (Heidelberg/Germany, 26), Brice Bosi (Luxembourg, 24) and Christiaan Frankenhout (Amsterdam/Netherlands, 28) behind the wheel, took seventh place overall, coming in 18 laps behind the winner.

Other Falcon’s car, number 8, was involved in a collision through no fault of the driver in lap 76. After a break of a good two hours for repairs, the vehicle resumed the race and finished 69 laps behind the winner to claim 24th place.

“It was a problem-free race for my team mates and myself in the new SLS AMG GT3. Black Falcon did a great job, and the AMG team provided us with first-class support. It was a good team performance overall which was rewarded with a third place that we can be proud of. Achieving a good finish for all three cars at the first attempt was an important affirmation for all those involved,” observes Thomas Jäger.

“Our first venture here in the 24H Dubai race went off without any technical problems,” notes Bernd Schneider. “We have acquired some important experience and achieved our aim of successfully completing the development and testing programme. With the SLS AMG GT3 we were able to keep pace with the front runners day and night over the long distance. The newly established Heico Motorsport team and my young team mates have done a great job.”

“Successfully finishing a 24-hour race with all three cars at the first attempt is a respectable result,” says Christoph June, SLS AMG project manager. “The high reliability and the good racing performance show that in the SLS AMG GT3 we have developed an appropriate vehicle for the racing series according to the FIA GT3 rules. Delivery of the customer vehicles to the private teams can now go ahead. Thanks are also due to the HWA headed by Gerhard Ungar for their support throughout the development process.”

“The result here in the Dubai 24-hour race proves that our customer sports programme is on the right track for 2011 with the SLS AMG GT3,” adds Uli Fritz, head of AMG Customer Sports. “Not only team owners and racing drivers will be able to drive the gull-winged model – AMG customers and fans will also have an opportunity to get to know the car at first hand through the AMG Driving Academy. I would like to thank the two customer teams, Black Falcon and Heico Motorsport, who raced our three vehicles here in Dubai.”