For GRT supported by Automobili Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the Italian manufacturer’s home race in the GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup was not crowned with success this time. The second round of the prestigious endurance championship organised by the SRO Motorsports Group took the Austrian outfit to the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza last weekend from 30 May to 1 June. In 2015, Gottfried Grasser’s team and Lamborghini celebrated their first joint success on the iconic Italian circuit. The two Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2s and their driver line-ups once again demonstrated their winning pace. However, an unlucky race thwarted the anticipated results.

In qualifying, the #63 with Mirko Bortolotti, Jordan Pepper and Luca Engstler at the wheel secured third place on the grid out of a total of 58 GT3 cars. As in the season opener at Le Castellet, the trio registered in the PRO CUP was the best-placed Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 in the field. In the 3-hour race, Mirko Bortolotti took up the fight at the front right from the start. The Lamborghini Factory Driver took second position early on, held it until the first pit stop and also set the fastest lap of all the Lamborghini drivers in the race. Luca Engstler took over the car towards the middle of the race. Many incidents and the resulting neutralizations had a negative impact on the pit stop strategy. As a result, Engstler dropped back to 14th position for the time being. Subsequently, the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 was severely damaged in an unforced incident, forcing Luca Engstler to retire from the race prematurely.

The race also started promisingly for the sister car of Ivan Ekelchik, Baptiste Moulin and Dante Rappange, which was entered in the SILVER CUP. Due to a grid penalty, the #19 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 started from 46th place overall. Baptiste Moulin made up nine positions in the first lap. At the time of the first driver change, he was in 20th place overall and third in the SILVER CUP. Dante Rappange and Ivan Ekelchik continued to work their way up the field as the race progressed. Half an hour before the end, Ekelchik was in fifth place overall and leading the SILVER CUP when a rear left tyre puncture brought the race to a premature end for the #19 car.

The next race in the GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup marks the big highlight of the season for GRT in the endurance series calendar. The CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa will be held at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium from 25 to 29 June. The Silver Cup line-up will be completed by Chinese driver Jiatong Liang, who will be the fourth driver to take the wheel of the #19 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.

Mirko Bortolotti (ITA) / Luca Engstler (GER) / Jordan Pepper (RSA) #63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 PRO CUP

Qualifying: P3 – Race: DNF Luca Engstler: “The day started well for us. We had a great qualifying session, with both the drivers and the team doing a perfect job. Starting from third on the grid, we definitely got the most out of it. Mirko then got off to a really good start, but unfortunately we had no luck with the pit stops due to the neutralisations. During my stint, someone hit the rear of my car so hard that continuing the race was out of the question. We are all frustrated, but we have a fast car and have to look ahead. We will be highly motivated at Spa because we know we can compete for victories.”

Jordan Pepper: “We showed our car’s speed and everything was executed perfectly on that side. Thanks to our setup work, we had the best possible package. Unfortunately, we again weren’t rewarded for it in the race, and again due to circumstances outside our control. Despite the frustration, we have to remain optimistic and take the positives with us. Spa matters the most, and we have to put all our energy into it and focus on the things we can control. Hopefully, that will make the difference there in our favour. I am sure that we have what it takes to fight for victory there. I believe in every single person in our team.”

Ivan Ekelchik / Baptiste Moulin (FRA) / Dante Rappange (NED) #19 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 SILVER CUP Qualifying: P9 – Race: DNF

Ivan Ekelchik: “The weekend was pretty emotional. I was very happy that I was able to set a strong pace and fight for the top positions. But unfortunately, we just had bad luck. I feel very sorry for the team because everyone did a great job and deserved a result. On the other hand, the team spirit was very impressive, especially on such a difficult weekend. Even when things go wrong, we stick together and always prove again and again that we are fast.”

Dante Rappange: “Baptiste drove a fantastic first stint, which was very important for us after the grid penalty. He put us back in contention for the class podium. After that, our pit wall made the perfect strategy calls, which allowed us to move even further up the field. I felt very comfortable in the car and kept pushing. After that, it looked like Ivan would be able to secure victory in the Silver Cup for us, but unfortunately we were stopped by a puncture. Nevertheless, we can be very satisfied with our performance as a team. I’m looking forward to Spa.”

Gottfried Grasser, Team Principal of GRT: “We were confident after the qualifying result of our #63 entry. On the other hand, we knew that, similar to Le Castellet, it would not be easy over a race distance. Mirko drove a fantastic stint and we had a good race until the neutralisations once again led to us being dropped out of the top 10. The incident in which Luca was hit at the rear, unfortunately damaged the air jack system, which meant we couldn’t continue. Our #19 crew bounced back superbly after a difficult qualifying session. The guys performed brilliantly, the strategy was spot on and the class victory seemed within reach. It’s a shame that the drivers and the team weren’t rewarded for this performance. Now it’s time to focus on the big 24-hour race at Spa. We will give everything to build on our performance from last year, when we secured pole position and the best result for Lamborghini in the history of this prestigious race.”