EBM Porsche disqualified from qualifying over technical breach

Another Pro class contender has copped a big hit to their chances of winning the Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour.

The #61 EBM Porsche of Riccardo Feller/Laurin Heinrich/Klaus Bachler has been disqualified from qualifying, falling afoul of a technical breach.

The breach centres around the rear wing height, which was found to be lower than is permitted in the Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) Balance of Performance document.

As a result, Heinrich's qualifying effort which had seen him place provisionally 15th has been scrubbed out, leaving the #61 Porsche to start from 34th and last on the grid tomorrow morning.

It now means that two of the outright Pro contenders start within the last five spots of the grid, with the Mercedes-AMG Team GMR entry of Maro Engel/Maxime Martin/Mikael Grenier to start 30th after what was described as a 'power-related issue'.

The 2026 Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour begins at 5:45am tomorrow morning, and will be broadcast on Foxtel and KAYO Sports.

Full Stewards Report

Competitor: Car 61 EBM

Date: Saturday, 14 February 2026

Session: Qualifying - Part 1

Fact: Car 61’s rear wing “Z Position” (height) was outside the range specified in the current “Balance of Performance for FIA GT3 Cars” document

Rule: Sporting & Technical Regulations - Article 6.2.1

Decision: Car 61 is disqualified from Qualifying – Part 1

Reason: At the hearing, the Stewards examined the report submitted by the TD. The report stated that during Parc Ferme following Qualifying – Part 1, Car 61’s rear wing “Z Position” (height) was measured at -16mm. The minimum wing height specified in the current “Balance of Performance for FIA GT3 Cars” document for Car 61 is -10mm. Allowing for the permitted tolerance of +/-5mm, the wing height did not comply with the Balance of Performance (BoP) document. Team representatives were present when the measurement was taken.

The Stewards decided that the wing height would be remeasured in the presence of the Stewards and team representatives. The wing height was first measured by the process used by the Chief Scrutineer. This involved a laser level attached to the roof of Car 61 which projected a horizontal beam towards the rear of the car which was used to measure the height of the rear wing. Allowing for the height of the beam above the highest part of Car 61’s roof, this produced a wing height measurement of -17mm. The Stewards asked that the process be repeated, which resulted in a measurement of -16.5mm. Team representatives stated that the process used was likely to result in inaccurate measurements, which was significant given the small amount by which Car 61’s wing height was outside of the permitted range.

The Stewards invited team representatives to make their own measurements. The team used a straight metal beam that was placed on Car 61’s roof and extended beyond the rear wing. A digital level was placed on the beam and the beam was lifted to be horizontal and the height of the beam above the wing measured. This produced a measurement of -20mm. The team was invited to repeat the process which resulted in a measurement of -17mm. Team representatives conceded that the wing height did not comply with the BoP document.

The usual penalty for a technical breach is therefore imposed.