While the GRT Grasser Racing headquarters in Austria are currently buried under snow, the team’s first major outing of the 2019 season is about to get underway some 5,000 kilometres to the south-east. On the weekend of 10th – 12th January, GRT will be competing in the top A6-PRO classification of the prestigious 24 Hours of Dubai. At the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 will be Lamborghini works driver Mirko Bortolotti ably assisted by Christian Engelhart, Rolf Ineichen and Mark Ineichen.
The 5.3km Dubai Autodrome has been hosting the opening fixture of the sports car season since 2006. The classic in the desert traditionally sets the benchmark for the upcoming campaign, because the Who’s Who of the top teams and drivers are all there on the grid. With temperatures of around 30°C almost guaranteed, around 80 teams will be lining up at the start. GRT Grasser Racing will be one of two teams fielding the Lamborghini Huracán GT3.
In 2019, the Knittelfeld-based outfit have only one target in mind, namely victory. In 2017, the win was within their grasp, but both Lamborghini Huracán GT3s went out of the race due to no-fault collisions. Last year, the team actually secured pole position, but three punctures early on in the race put paid to their hopes of the outright win. However, these setbacks did not detract from the fighting spirit of the squad as they gradually worked their way back up to third at the finish line, a well-deserved reward for a sensational charge through the field. At their third attempt, GRT Grasser Racing are now determined to secure the overall victory.
The circumstances would indeed be special, as it is to be their last outing with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3. In the 24-hour Daytona race towards the end of January, GRT Grasser Racing Team will already be deploying the new Huracán GT3 EVO, with aerodynamics, mechanics, electronics, engine and interior that mark a significant advance on the predecessor model. It will be an emotional farewell for GRT Grasser Racing, who have enjoyed considerable success around the world with the Huracán GT3.
Team Principal Gottfried Grasser: “This will be the third occasion on which we have joined the starting line up for the 24-hour race in Dubai, and this time we are determined to go all out for victory. Over the past few years, we have repeatedly shown that we have the potential by qualifying near the front and clocking impressive lap times. Unfortunately, due to either collisions accidents or punctures, we have simply been out of luck. Aside from the result, it’s going to be a special race for the entire team, as we are quite literally sending our Lamborghini Huracán GT3 out into the desert. We have had many fabulous moments with the car since its first outing at Monza in 2015, and it would be a great send-off to retire it with a win.”
Source. GRT Grasser Racing Team/Photo. Petr Fryba
Comments
