Volante Rosso confirms French McLaren Junior driver for Bathurst 12 Hour

Volante Rosso Motorsport has confirmed that French ace Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer will join its McLaren GT3 EVO entry at the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour this weekend.

Simmenauer will join three Australian rising stars – Supercars rookie Rylan Gray and Carrera Cup standouts Bayley Hall and Marcos Flack – in the Queensland team’s new McLaren.

The 2026 Bathurst 12 Hour will mark Simmenauer’s debut in the Mount Panorama enduro, his first-ever visit to Australia, and his maiden drive of a McLaren GT3 race car.

Just last month, Simmenauer was inducted into the McLaren GT3 Junior Driver program, with the Bathurst race being his first for the famous British brand.

“It’s my first time in Bathurst, and my first time in a McLaren GT3 car, so I’m very excited,” said Simmenauer.

“I’ve been watching the Bathurst races for many years, and it’s quite iconic. Even when I did my first first laps on the simulator, I was like “oh shit – this track is different.”

“I think the Bathurst track is like a mix between the Nordschleife and Monaco. It is very fast, lots of risk and narrow in places that give it a feeling like a street circuit.

“I’m very excited to try the McLaren. It’s the only GT3 car with a carbon chassis and the engine is very good.

“McLaren is really trying to build something great in GT to fight with the big brands like Porsche and Audi, so it’s really exciting to be a part of it all.”

While the 25-year-old might be tackling some firsts at Bathurst, he is no stranger to sportscar racing.

The Frenchman currently competes in LMP2 in the European Le Mans Series and has tasted success in GT racing, winning the 2020 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup Silver Cup.

The four driver Volante Rosso McLaren entry will be one of the youngest line-ups in the 12 Hour field too. Gray and Flack (19), Hall (21) and Simmenauer (25) will have youth on their side in one of the most competitive Bathurst 12 Hour fields assembled in recent years.

The livery of Volante Rosso’s McLaren, and its Aston Martin Vantage GT3 will be unveiled in the coming days.

The Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour kicks off on Friday with practice ahead of qualifying on Saturday and the 12 Hour race on Sunday, starting at 5:45am AEDT.