History is not made with “ifs” and “buts” and these have no meaning in competitions like the GT3 ones, in which the margins of error are extremely small. Despite the logical disappointment, the first season of the partnership between Lamborghini and SSR Performance was very satisfying.
Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s DTM journey began in 2021, the inaugural season of the GT3 regulation. In a short time, the commitment, reduced to just one team present, with two cars on the track, expanded to the current roster of five cars divided into two teams supported by the Sant’Agata Bolognese company.
After racing with another brand during last season, SSR Performance chose to link up with Lamborghini for 2023 and immediately began to reap the benefits, taking a pole position and a victory in the inaugural round at Oschersleben.
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Mirko Bortolotti, SSR Performance Lamborghini Huracán EVO GT3
“Logically, as a team, our goal is always to win and this was our goal before the season,” explains team owner Stefan Schlund.
“We didn’t expect to start so easily in Oschersleben because we didn’t know what level of competitiveness we had at that moment. It was our first race with Lamborghini, the first time in the car, so we were very happy.”
SSR Performance team principal Mario Schuhbauer was also surprised by the speed with which the first victory came: “It was not just a new car for us with Lamborghini, but also a new car for Lamborghini with the Evo2, so no one knew what the potential of the car was.”
“Of course we hoped for success in the first round, but we certainly didn’t expect it!”
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Mirko Bortolotti, SSR Performance Lamborghini Huracán EVO GT3
Perera put in a stunning lap in qualifying to take pole position and led the race from the front, taking a stoplight-to-traffic win, while teammate Mirko Bortolotti placed eighth, a suboptimal result after racing in second position before the pit stops.
Starting a new season with a new manufacturer is never an entirely simple task, and for SSR Performance it was no different. But the key to making things work right from the start was team spirit and harmony, an element shared with Lamborghini itself.
“At SSR Performance we do things a little differently from other teams, who perhaps have one mechanic in the workshop who prepares the car and another who works on it on the track,” explains Schuhbauer.
“The guys who prepare our cars in the workshop are the same ones who take care of the mechanics and engineers on the track, and we make sure that each car has a dedicated mechanic who prepares it as best as possible.”
“We always work closely together, and there is the same group of people in the workshop as on the track; the most special thing about the team, and perhaps the reason why we have been so successful in the past is that we are like a family.”
“This is also why we have a great relationship with Lamborghini Squadra Corse, because it’s almost the same thing. We put a lot of effort into creating a team bond, because sometimes it’s more important than having the best guys.”
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Mirko Bortolotti, SSR Performance Lamborghini Huracán EVO GT3
Schuhauer explains the difference compared to other manufacturers as being “less like a number and more like a family member” and this bond certainly played a crucial role in the first rounds of the DTM season, where the results were not as good as hoped .
The battle at Zandvoort earned Perera just one podium, while the Norisring weekend focused on limiting the damage on a circuit that generally suited the Porsche more than the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo2. However, things improved at the Nürburgring, where Bortolotti re-entered the championship fight, thanks to a pole position and a victory in race 1.
“The DTM is very competitive and qualifying is also very important – says Schlund – If you look at the history of past races, many of them were won by the car starting from pole position, so we knew we had to do well in qualifying.”
“It was fantastic for us to know that we had the speed to be on pole position with Mirko, therefore knowing how to work on the car and with the driver himself. The Nürburgring victory was perhaps the easiest victory for us, because he led from the start in the end and the strategy worked very well.”
A technical problem instead ousted Bortolotti from race 2, while two more victories followed in two consecutive weekends at the Laustizring and Sachsenring, leaving the team and driver in contention for the final title.
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Mirko Bortolotti, SSR Performance
“At the Lausitzring, where we finished second in race 1 and then won race 2, it was truly the closest weekend to perfection that could be achieved, at least for the #92 car,” Schuhbauer reflects.
“We have always fought for the championship since the beginning of the season, but it was here that we achieved a truly important result, demonstrating that we are great protagonists and that we are serious about the championship.”
The story of the last round of the year at Hockenheim is well known. An almost certain pole position for Bortolotti in the first session was denied due to a track limits infringement, with the #92 car having to fight from eighth on the grid, while title rival Thomas Preining took the victory.
Bortolotti kept the battle alive until Sunday morning thanks to an excellent drive to fifth place, but the title was decided in the second qualifying.
Photo by: Alexander Trienitz
Alessio Deledda, SSR Performance Lamborghini Huracán EVO GT3
Despite the frustration, the 2023 season has shown that SSR Performance and Lamborghini are a force to be reckoned with, especially considering that the partnership between the two companies is a recent one.
“In the past we have always collaborated with other teams to manage the cars, while this is the first year in which we have done things ourselves – says Schlund – When we raced with the Porsches, we had the support of the Manthey team. See from the start start of the year that everything was going well was very encouraging for us.”
Schuhbauer added: “The quality of the cars available to us in 2022 was very high, but it’s not enough to win. What makes the difference is that, while with other manufacturers you are just a number, with Lamborghini it’s like being part of the family “.
“We work closely together and this is, for me, the most important factor for success. It’s the same for all members of the team. We had some mechanical problems during the season which probably cost us the championship, but it’s about of things we need to work on and improve.”
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