The Nürburgring magic continues for GRT in the 2024 season. Last weekend, the iconic circuit in the Eifel mountains was the venue for the third stop of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup for the Lamborghini Team from Austria. In the endurance series, the outfitc faced a high-calibre field of 50 GT3 cars with its two Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2s. The PRO line-up led by Lamborghini Factory Drivers Franck Perera, Marco Mapelli and Jordan Pepper got their payback at the Nürburgring for missing out on success at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The trio once again proved their competitive pace and celebrated the first win of the season for Grasser Racing in the Endurance Cup’s 3-hour race. This success puts the line-up in third place in the overall standings.
 
The three Lamborghini Factory Drivers in the MOUNTAIN WOLF-supported #163 laid the foundations in qualifying on Sunday morning. With third place on the grid, Jordan Pepper was ideally placed for the start of the race on the 5.137-kilometre Grand Prix circuit of the Nürburgring. The South African got the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 into the lead in the first corners of the 3-hour race. In stable weather conditions, he gapped the rest of the field with his challenger right in his slipstream. After the first pit stop, Marco Mapelli continued the battle against the second-placed opponent and maintained the lead as well. The final pit stop decided the race. The GRT crew called the Italian into the pits ahead of the competition for the final driver change to Franck Perera. The Frenchman got his tyres up to optimum temperature and thus prevented the rivals from executing the overcut. He took back the lead at the first opportunity with a determined move. In the final hour of the race, he pulled out a ten-second lead and celebrated an unchallenged victory for GRT.
 
GRT welcomed a new face in the sister car entered in the SILVER CUP at the Nürburgring. Alongside Lamborghini Young Driver Mateo Llarena and Haytham Qarajouli, Frenchman Loris Cabirou took the wheel of the #19 car this time. Larena had a phenomenal start to the race from fifth on the grid in class and moved up to second position in no time. As the race progressed, his team-mates kept up with the podium positions. After three hours, Cabirou crossed the finish line in fourth place in the SILVER CUP.
 
For GRT, the victory by Perera, Mapelli and Pepper meant the first overall success in the Endurance Cup since 2017. Seven years ago, Gottfried Grasser’s team won the title in the fiercely contested endurance series of the SRO Motorsports Group. The triumph at the Nürburgring means that the three winners are now in third place in the drivers‘ standings. GRT is also only 16 points off the leaders in the team classification. With two races to go, the Lamborghini Squadra Corse-supported team still has every chance of winning the title. The next stop in the Endurance Cup is scheduled for 20 to 22 September at Monza.

Jordan Pepper (RSA) / Marco Mapelli (ITA) / Franck Perera (FRA)
#163 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
PRO CUP
Qualifying: P3 – Race: P1
 
Jordan Pepper: „It was an incredible weekend at the Nürburgring. From the first moment we went on track, we picked up where we left off in Spa and showed great speed straight away. We knew going into the race we had a strong package and it was crucial to survive the opening lap and take it from there. After a perfectly executed start, I was able to avoid the chaos and move into the lead. From then on it was a perfect race. The pressure was immense, but we were able to keep the opposition at bay throughout the race and finally Franck could open up the gap and bring home the victory. I’m extremely happy to get my first Endurance Cup win since 2019 and my first win with GRT and Lamborghini in this championship. A huge thanks to Gottfried and the team for bringing me on board and a credit to the whole crew for such a great car.“
 
Marco Mapelli: „Many thanks to the entire team, who deserve this victory the most. They have given us a great car, and have done so all year. We were already the fastest in the field at Spa and now it finally worked out with the win. We’ve known since the season opener in Le Castellet that we have the pace for it. It’s a huge relief for all of us. We now go into the next race weekend in Monza with a good feeling and will be even more focussed. This was a team success and that’s what it’s all about. Everyone plays their part and that’s how we want to win this championship.“
 
Franck Perera: „I am very proud of our crew and my team-mates. We simply wanted revenge after Spa. We didn’t fight for victory there, but we’ve had a strong car since the start of the season and have worked hard for it. Having Jordan as a team-mate was another important piece of the puzzle. We showed again this weekend how important good teamwork is. We really worked perfectly this time and I congratulate everyone in the team for this success, especially Gottfried. It means so much to all of us to be back at the top with GRT. We deserve it because we’ve had some tough times. Of course, our goal now is to get into the title fight. We will keep pushing!“
 
Loris Cabirou (FRA) / Mateo Llarena (ITA) / Haytham Qarajouli (KUW)
#19 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
SILVER CUP
Qualifying: P5 – Race: P4
 
Mateo Llarena: „I am happy with our performance in the race as a team. We showed that we can compete for the podium in the Silver Cup. I felt very comfortable in my stint and was able to gain a few positions. The battles were great fun. We will analyse everything in August and I will prepare myself during the break for the next race in Monza so that we can fully exploit our potential there. I’m looking forward to the final stages of the season.“

Gottfried Grasser, Team Principal of GRT: „This victory is a dream come true for us. We have been competitive in the Endurance Cup all season and, apart from the turbulent opening race at Le Castellet, we always had the potential to be right at the front. Now we finally put everything together at the weekend and were rewarded for it. It was a mega performance from Franck, Marco and Jordan as well as the entire team. We had a score to settle after the race in Spa and travelled to the Nürburgring with this feeling. That gave everyone extra motivation and we put it into practice. The success in the Endurance Cup makes me personally particularly happy, as we had a few difficult years here. Now we are finally back where we belong, fighting for victories and a championship. A big compliment to everyone involved and a big thank you to our family at Lamborghini Squadra Corse. Without the support of the manufacturer, none of this would be possible for us and we are proud to pay back the trust put in us with these results. Finally, I would also like to praise our rookies in the Silver Cup, who showed a really great form curve this weekend. Some of the guys were really fast in the race and I’m sure we’ll see them on the class podium this year.“