Lamborghini Squadra Corse makes its return to the IMSA SportsCar Championship, this weekend’s fourth round of the Endurance Cup, the “Battle on the Bricks” in Indianapolis.
After competing in the previous round at Watkins Glen with a two-driver line-up, Lamborghini Iron Lynx returns to field Romain Grosjean alongside Matteo Cairoli and Andrea Caldarelli. The three official drivers last competed aboard the Lamborghini SC63 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where they achieved a positive 13th place on their debut.
Despite their race ending in an early retirement due to a cooling system issue, Cairoli and Caldarelli were able to compete with their rivals at the top of the standings during the 6 Hours of the Glen in June.
The SC63 recorded its best qualifying result of the season and occupied a consistent top-five throughout the race, eventually taking third place thanks to some excellent strategic choices in changeable weather conditions.
The GTD crews remain unchanged. Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting join forces again in the #83 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, fresh from the 6 Hours of Fuji, valid for the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Having scored a podium finish in the GT Challenge at Virginia International Raceway last month, the No. 78 Forte Racing car once again features Misha Goikhberg, Loris Spinelli and the returning Devlin DeFrancesco.
Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America regular Graham Doyle joins Danny Formal and Kyle Marcelli in the No. 45 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti.
Due to a calendar overlap with the GT World Challenge Europe at Monza, the No. 19 Iron Lynx entry features a new lineup this weekend, with Luca Engstler and Maximilian Paul – who star in the DTM in Germany – teaming up for the first time in IMSA.
Both Germans are part of the Lamborghini Squadra Corse youth system, with Paul in the role of Young Professional Driver and Engstler as GT3 Junior Driver.
#63 Iron Lynx Lamborghini SC63: Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli
Photo by: Michael L. Levitt / Motorsport Images
Discovering the Indianapolis circuit
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway, opened in 1909, is the second oldest asphalt racing facility in the world. Famous for its oval-shaped races, it has also featured road versions since the 2000s.
The “Road Course” layout, 3,925 metres long and made up of 14 corners, takes advantage of the main straight where the brick finish line is located, hence its nickname “Brickyard”.
It is a narrow and technical track, with two important braking points at turns 1 and 12 and large sections to be taken at high speed.
Overtaking and managing lapped cars can be an important element of the race, especially in the third sector of the circuit. Furthermore, with lap times of just over a minute, effective strategy and pit operations will play a key role in the final result.
#60 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2: Romain Grosjean
Photo by: Bob Meyer
Interview with Romain Grosjean
How eager are you to get back behind the wheel of the SC63 after missing Watkins Glen?
“I’m very excited, I’ve been keeping an eye on the Watkins Glen races and the recent WEC round in Austin, but I refreshed my memory a bit by driving the SC63 in the Michelin test at COTA. I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car, IMSA is a fantastic championship with a very high level of competition. Plus, I know the track very well.”
What are the main challenges of Indianapolis and what is the key to achieving a good lap time?
“It’s a very flat circuit and has a lot of braking zones in the slow corners, so it’s a very challenging track. Also, the sequence of turns 7, 8 and 9 is quite tricky, you have to use the kerbs a lot. I think that, compared to bumpy tracks like Sebring, it can help us go better.”
You’ve had some great results at this track in the IndyCar Series. What do you hope to achieve in IMSA?
“The goal is to continue to improve the SC63 and develop it further this weekend. I think we are improving more and more and we want to get the best possible result with this beautiful car in Indianapolis.”
How do you rate your first season with the SC63 so far?
“Reliability has been one of the biggest strengths of the SC63, and that in itself is fantastic. I think we have a very good base for development. Obviously, there are some things that we as drivers, together with the engineers, want to see on the car in the future, but overall I would say it has been a positive experience with Lamborghini Squadra Corse.”
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