How Mercedes-AMG is reacting to the loss of high-caliber Raffaele Marciello, what will become of David Schumacher and Luca Engstler and who will join the squad
Mercedes-AMG has announced its driver squad for the 2024 season: The brand with the three-pointed star is relying on 19 drivers from eleven different nations – and has recorded a total of three new additions. On the other hand, they are losing an absolute top-class driver in Swiss driver Raffaele Marciello to BMW, for whom no real replacement has been found in the performance driver squad – the highest works driver category at AMG.
Daniel Juncadella, who is now a Chevrolet works driver, will also no longer be available to Mercedes-AMG to the usual extent. However, the decision-makers have managed to ensure that the Spaniard can continue to compete for Mercedes-AMG in selected races. The 32-year-old is now no longer a performance driver, but a so-called “expert”.
Instead, 26-year-old Indian Arjun Maini, who has had junior status since joining the DTM in 2021, has been promoted to performance driver in 2024
Schumacher remains in the Mercedes-AMG squad
He is not the only DTM driver from last year to remain part of the squad: performance drivers Lucas Auer, Luca Stolz, Maro Engel and juniors Jusuf Owega and David Schumacher are also in the line-up for 2024. This finally makes it clear that Ralf Schumacher’s son will not be switching brands after his Winward contract ends in 2023. However, it remains to be seen whether he will continue to compete in the DTM.
Another new addition to the squad this year is a former DTM driver: Brazilian Felipe Fraga, who raced for the AF Corse team in the Red Bull Ferrari in 2022 and celebrated a victory, will join the “Experts” in 2024, meaning he will compete in selected events.
However, the 28-year-old is not really a Mercedes newcomer: Fraga, who also competes in the IMSA sports car series in the LMP2 class, has already completed over 30 endurance races with the Mercedes-AMG GT3 since 2018
Brite becomes AMG Junior via Young Driver Test
While David Reynolds, another Australian, joins the “Experts” and will mainly be deployed on the Australian continent, British driver Frank Bird is a genuine newcomer.
The 24-year-old impressed the Mercedes-AMG decision-makers during the Young Driver Test in Valencia in November 2023 and the resulting race outing in the Intercontinental GT Challenge in Abu Dhabi. He is now part of the driver squad as a junior.
“Building on last year’s extremely successful season will be a challenge,” says Mercedes-AMG Head of Motorsport Christoph Sagemüller. “That’s why we’ve not only put together a strong driver line-up, but above all one that is as balanced as possible. In addition, the promotion of young talent is very important to us as a manufacturer, which is why we are building up young drivers in a targeted manner. “
Engstler does not make the leap into the AMG squad
Head of Customer Sport Stefan Wendl also speaks of a “balanced mix of championship and endurance winners as well as young, talented and hungry drivers”. He is also “particularly pleased that Frank Bird, a promising junior, has presented himself and qualified via the AMG Young Driver Test.”
However, DTM driver Luca Engstler, who also caused a stir at the Mercedes-AMG Young Driver Test after a season in his own Audi team and the dissolution of the Audi squad, will not be taking part. It therefore remains exciting to see how the 23-year-old’s career will continue in 2024.
Incidentally, Thomas Jäger will no longer be among the performance drivers in 2024. However, the 47-year-old, who is the sporting director of the Mercedes-AMG DTM project, will continue to act as a “test and development driver”, as clarified in the press release.
Mercedes-AMG driver squad for the 2024 season:
Performance drivers: Lucas Auer (AUT), Philip Ellis (SUI), Maro Engel (GER), Maximilian Götz (GER), Jules Gounon (AND), Mikael Grenier (CAN), Arjun Maini (IND), Fabian Schiller (GER), Luca Stolz (GER); Junior drivers: Ralf Aron (EST), Bird Frank (GBR) Jordan Love (AUS), Jusuf Owega (GER), David Schumacher (GER); Expert drivers: Adam Christodoulu (GBR), Felipe Fraga (BRA), Daniel Juncadella (ESP), Daniel Morad (CAN), David Reynolds (AUS)