Manuela and Corinna Gostner, competing in the family-run MP Racing Mercedes AMG GT3, achieved a third-place finish in the GT3 AM class at the 2024 Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi, following a clean run at the event that closed out the international sports car calendar.
Manuela and Corinna Gostner, alongside their father Thomas and brother David, clinched a podium finish in the GT3 AM class of the 2024 Gulf 12 Hours held at Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, following a clean run with their family-run MP Racing Mercedes AMG GT3.
Manuela returned to endurance racing with her family after securing fourth place in the standings of the Ferrari Challenge Europe Shell Cup, her main racing program, where her sister Corinna also competed in a part-time campaign. The Gostner quartet concluded the year with a strong result in a highly competitive field in Abu Dhabi.
The Lenovo Gulf 12 Hours, first held in January 2012, has in fact now wrapped up the international endurance racing calendar. Over the last few years, it has grown into a significant event, featuring some of the world's top teams and drivers in GT3 competitions.
Since 2016, nine female drivers have taken part in the race, with Manuela Gostner holding the record for the most starts, at six, including twice with Iron Dames. Her first start was in 2017. This year marked the third time at the Gulf 12 Hours that she shared the track with her sister Corinna, as well as her brother David and father Thomas.
The Gostner family has been an established presence in Ferrari Challenge, where Manuela Corinna and Thomas have competed in the Shell Cup, with Manuela fighting for the title in the last couple of seasons. At the same time, they have also gained experience in endurance racing with their family-run MP Racing Mercedes AMG GT3: together, they have competed in select rounds of the Creventic 24H Series and have been a steady presence on the grid of the Gulf 12 Hours.
The MP Racing team made significant progress during the practice sessions on Friday and Saturday morning, climbing the rankings into the overall top 20 and finishing 17th fastest in the final session - third in class - having found several seconds from the start of the weekend.
Corinna Gostner drove the #58 Mercedes in the first qualifying session. Despite a small issue as the car left the pit lane, which left her stranded for a few minutes, she eventually went out and improved with each lap, ending P15 overall and P3 in GT3 AM with a time of 2:03.076.
Thomas Gostner then took the wheel for the second qualifying session. Despite an early spin that forced him to return to the pits, Thomas resumed after the session was briefly stopped due to a red flag caused by the stranded #6 Ferrari at Turn 5. He eventually set a 1:59.654, placing the team P23 overall and fourth in class.
Manuela took over for the third session. She was immediately almost two seconds faster than Thomas, bringing the average time down further and improving on her final run with a 1:57.818.
David was tasked with the fourth and final qualifying session. He found even more time, clocking a 1:55.580. A red flag halted the session for seven minutes when the #16 Proton Huber Porsche hit the barriers, but David’s effort helped bring the team’s average lap time down further. The all-family team qualified P22 overall and fourth in the GT3 AM class for Sunday’s 12-hour race.
After grid penalties were applied to other teams, the Gostners gained a few spots and started from row 10 in P20 overall, with Manuela at the wheel for the first stint.
The race started at 9 a.m on Sunday morning for the first eight hours of racing, as per the event format. Manuela made a cautious start, dropping to P14 overall on the first lap. The Herberth Motorsport Porsche, driven by Blattner, led the race after Jules Gounon’s Mercedes pitted at the end of the first lap, dropping down the order.
Manuela moved into P23 overall but remained fourth in class. One lap later, the race leader Blattner picked up a puncture and pitted, allowing Manuela to take third in GT3 AM.
Manuela continued to climb the overall order, passing Liquorish in the Toro Verde Porsche and later the Lionspeed Porsche after their pit stops. She re-entered the overall top 20 after 25 minutes of racing. On lap 14, she set her best lap until that point at 2:00.6, maintaining a healthy margin over the #7 Herberth Motorsport Porsche in class. By lap 19, Blattner reclaimed third place in GT3 AM.
Manuela further improved her pace, going under the two-minute mark for the first time, settling in P4 in class and 21st overall. At the end of the first hour, pit stops began: on lap 36, Manuela handed the car over to Corinna, who rejoined the race in fourth in class and settled into her rhythm with lap times around 2:03.
Despite a small spin early in her stint, Corinna rejoined the race quickly. However, a second spin on lap 51 cost the team a full lap, dropping them to P24 overall at the end of the second hour.
Corinna however improved her lap times, setting a personal best in the 2:00 range. She pitted on lap 64, with David taking over after refueling and a new set of tyres. David put in fast laps, closing in on the top 20 once again.
The race’s first neutralization occurred when the Enrico Fulgenzi Racing Porsche stopped on track. At the restart, David maintained solid pace, setting the car’s fastest lap up to that point before another Full Course Yellow was triggered when Graeme Mundy crashed the Toro Verde Porsche at Turn 10.
David handed the car to Thomas as the first part of the race approached its midpoint. Thomas maintained fourth in class and climbed the overall order as more competitors faced issues, including the leading 2Seas Motorsport Mercedes, which suffered suspension damage.
Shortly after, the ARC Bratislava Lamborghini of Miro Konopka hit the barriers at Turn 4, bringing out another Full Course Yellow followed by a safety car. The MP Racing Mercedes moved into third in GT3 AM, 19th overall, before pitting for the sixth time and handing the car back to Manuela for her second stint.
Manuela maintained competitive lap times, running consistently in the 1:58 range. Despite receiving a track limits penalty, the team held their position. She completed her stint and handed the car to Corinna with two hours left in the first part of the race.
Corinna delivered a clean stint, clocking consistent laps in the 2:00 range. She gained one position overall and pitted on lap 185, with David taking the wheel for the final hour of Part 1. David kept a steady pace and managed traffic well, crossing the finish line after eight hours in P18 overall and third in the GT3 AM class.
After a brief break, the race resumed under the Abu Dhabi night sky for the final four hours.
Thomas started the second part of the race, holding position with a three-lap margin over the car behind. He then gained another position overall when the Garage 59 McLaren encountered mechanical issues.
After a solid stint, he handed the car back to Manuela, who again managed traffic effectively during her stint before Corinna took over with a safe margin in third place in GT3 AM.
Despite the recovering Jules Gounon’s outstanding pace in the 2Seas Motorsport Mercedes, Corinna focused on safeguarding their class position. She completed another clean stint before handing the car to David for the final hour.
David set the team’s best lap of the second part, consistently lapping in the 2:01 range.
After 12 hours of racing, he ultimately crossed the finish line in third place in GT3 AM and 18th overall, securing the Gostner family’s first class podium at the Gulf 12 Hours.
While Manuela had previously finished second in GT3 ProAm in 2018, this was Corinna’s first podium at the event, improving on her previous best of sixth place.
This family achievement wraps up their 2024 season on a high note as they aim to continue their racing programs into 2025.
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