Raffaele Marciello to Bid Farewell to Mercedes-AMG, Eyes New Horizon with BMW

Raffaele Marciello is set to conclude his six-year tenure as a Mercedes-AMG factory driver at the upcoming FIA GT World Cup in Macau, marking the end of his collaboration with the German auto giant that began in 2018. In honour of his time with Mercedes, Marciello will don a unique helmet design featuring a black-and-silver theme and the iconic Mercedes Three-Pointed Star, alongside images of his victorious race cars.

The Swiss-Italian racer will also display the word 'Danke' (meaning 'thank you' in German) on his helmet, alongside the names of all the teams he's competed with under the Mercedes banner. Marciello expressed his deep appreciation for the opportunities and support he received from Mercedes-AMG, especially during the celebratory 'Champions United' event where he was gifted a model of his Spa-winning car and featured in an emotionally charged film produced by AMG.

Marciello's departure from Mercedes precedes his anticipated move to BMW, where he is expected to compete in the World Endurance Championship or the IMSA SportsCar Championship, driving the M Hybrid V8. Initially, Marciello was believed to be joining Lamborghini for its own prototype project, but BMW's engagement in their 2024 racing program appears to have swayed him.

With BMW already participating in IMSA’s GTP class via Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing and planning to introduce their Dallara LMP2-based LMDh car in the WEC next year in collaboration with WRT, Marciello joins them after a remarkable career in GT racing. His achievements include multiple GT World Challenge Europe titles, the 2022 GT Masters championship, and notable victories at the Spa 24 Hours in 2022 and the 2019 FIA GT World Cup.

Marciello, who made his prototype debut at the Daytona 24 Hours with High-Class Racing's ORECA in the LMP2 class, was on a three-year contract with Mercedes set to conclude at the end of the 2023 season, which he signed to cover the 2021-2023 racing periods.