A STAR-STUDDED field packed with some of the best racing talent from around the world will tackle the 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour, Australia’s International Enduro. 

The final field includes 18 teams from six countries representing eight world-class brands including Audi, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche, Lamborghini and BMW.

The 84 drivers assembling hail from 15 different countries and represent some of the world’s best racing talent.

Final additions to the field include 2022 Allan Simonsen Pole Award winner and Supercars star Chaz Mostert, who will drive with Fraser Ross and Liam Talbot in an Audi R8 LMS.

The experienced Josh Hunt will join Ross Poulakis, Kevin Tse and Jonathan Hui aboard the Harrolds Volante Rosso Motorsport #101 Mercedes-AMG GT3, with that car moving to the Silver class.

An incredible array of current champions from major championships and endurance races around the globe in 2022 fill the grid, one of the most talent-rich in 12-Hour history.

The headline act is the Bathurst debut of seven-time MotoGP World Champion and one of the most recognisable names in all of motorsport, Valentino Rossi.

The Italian will drive a BMW M4 GT3 for Team WRT and brings his seven world titles and 89 victories in the premier two-wheeled class to his four-wheeled Australian debut.

Rossi will be up against some of the best GT drivers in the world, including an incredible number of previous victors on the Mountain.

The 10 former LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour winners on the grid account for 13 victories in total at Australia’s International Enduro.

That includes defending champions Kenny Habul, Jules Gounon and Luca Stolz, who will return to defend their 2022 crown.

The 2023 grid includes the current Repco Supercars Champion, the reigning DTM champion and the current IMSA GTD Pro class champions from last year’s season in the United States’ top Sports Car series.

The Sprint and Endurance Champions from GT World Challenge Australia are both represented.

GT World Challenge Europe is arguably the toughest championship in the world for GT3 vehicles: the Outright, Sprint and Endurance championship winners from 2022 are all included in the Bathurst field, as is the winner of Germany’s ADAC GT Masters Championship.

The 2022 Intercontinental GT Challenge powered by Pirelli Outright and Pro-Am drivers champions are also back to defend their respective titles – Bathurst serving as the first round of four in the globe-trotting GT3 championship.

2022 winners from key endurance races around the globe will also take part.

As well as the defending Bathurst 12 Hour winners, last year’s victors of the Nürburgring 24 Hours, the Spa Francorchamps 24 Hours, the GTD class at the Sebring 12 hour and the prestigious Macau GT Cup also feature.

Aussie fans will have plenty to cheer for, with the best and brightest from the Repco Supercars Championship represented, led by defending champion and Repco Bathurst 1000 winner Shane van Gisbergen.

Between them, Supercars drivers’ in the field account for 350 Supercars / ATCC race wins and 12 championships.

In Australia, local audiences will be able to watch the race live and ad-break free on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, with live, free-to-air coverage on the Seven Network and 7plus around Australia.

Coverage begins at 12:30pm AEDT Saturday on both networks, with coverage of LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour qualifying, followed by support race action and the Pirelli Top-10 shootout.

Fox, Kayo and Seven will then be live from 5:30am AEDT on Sunday, February 5 for the race start, with coverage continuing through to 6:00pm local that day.

New Zealand audiences will be able to view via Sky Sports NZ, while global fans will be able to watch on You Tube via SRO’s ‘GT World’ platform and other international streaming partners.

Radio Show Ltd, home of Radio Le Mans, will also carry the international broadcast in sound and vision, including exclusive audio coverage of Friday’s practice sessions.

The 2023 LIQUI MOLY Bathurst 12 Hour will run 3-5 February at Mount Panorama, tickets available through Ticketek.

FACT FILE: 2023 LIQUI MOLY BATHURST 12 HOUR

18 teams, from 6 countries: Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Belgium, Germany & the United States.
Eight brands: Mercedes-AMG, Audi, Porsche, BMW, Lamborghini, KTM, SIN, MARC Cars
84 drivers from 15 countries: Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Belgium, Brazil, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, France, Spain, Austria, The Netherlands, Malaysia (Johor), Hong Kong, Canada
10 different drivers representing 13 Bathurst 12 Hour wins: including two-time winners Craig Lowndes, Christopher Mies and Jules Gounon.
6 Allan Simonsen Pole Award winners including Chaz Mostert: the only two-time Pole winner in the GT3 era of the race.
350 Supercars Championship / ATCC Race wins. 12 Supercars / ATCC championships, including 2022 winner Shane van Gisbergen.
7 MotoGP World Championships + 89 Premier Class wins. 

MAJOR RACES:  

Repco Bathurst 1000: 6 former winners for a total of 21 wins, including 2022 winner Shane van Gisbergen.
Total 24 Hours of Spa: 5 former winners for a total of 6 wins, including 2022 winners Jules Gounon, Daniel Juncadella and Raffaele Marciello.
Nürburgring 24 Hours: 5 former winners for a total of 8 wins, including 2022 winners Dries Vanthoor and Frederic Vervisch.
Indianapolis 8 Hours: 2022 winners Daniel Juncadella, Raffaele Marciello.
Kyalami 9 Hours: 2022 winners Jules Gounon, Raffaele Marciello.
Sebring 12 hours: 2022 GTD Pro winner, Nicky Catsburg.
Daytona 24 Hours: 2022 GTD Pro winners Matt Campbell, Mathieu Jaminet. 

2022 CHAMPIONS: 

2022 Repco Supercars Champion – Shane van Gisbergen
2022 DTM Champion – Sheldon van der Linde
2022 IMSA GTD Pro Class Champions – Matt Campbell and Mathieu Jaminet
2022 Intercontinental GT Challenge Champion – Daniel Juncadella
2022 Intercontinental GT Challenge Pro-Am Champion – Kenny Habul  
2022 GT World Challenge Australia Champion – Yasser Shahin
2022 GT World Challenge Australia Enduro Champion – Prince Jefri Ibrahim
2022 GT World Challenge Europe Champion – Raffaele Marciello
2022 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup Champions – Raffaele Marciello, Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon
2022 GT World Challenge Asia Pro-Am champion – Prince Jefri Ibrahim
2022 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Champions – Charles Weerts, Dries Vanthoor
2022 ADAC GT Masters Champion – Raffaele Marciello
2022 Macau GT Cup winner – Maro Engel

2022 TCR Australia Champion – Tony D’Alberto