GRT GRASSER RACING TEAM GIVE YOUTH A CHANCE: RETURN TO THE GT WORLD CHALLENGE TAKING SHAPE

The thorough groundwork done by the GRT Grasser Racing Team pays off once again. After the recent announcement by the outfit of its line-up for the 2021 ADAC GT Masters, preparations for the GT World Challenge Europe are now also taking concrete shape. The Austrians will be making their return to the Endurance Cup with two Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVOs. Lamborghini Juniors Tim Zimmermann and Kikko Galbiati have been named as the first of the two driver pairings who will contest the prestigious GT3 championship. The focus for the young duo will be the Silver Cup.

The 2021 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup calendar comprises five race events, including the legendary 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. The season gets underway with a three-hour race at Monza on the weekend of 16th – 18th April. Alongside their Silver Cup challenge, the GRT Grasser Racing Team will be entering a second Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO in the Pro category of the endurance series, with the aim of repeating the overall title success of 2017: four years ago, the team from Austria won both the team and driver championships in the fiercely contested endurance series.

Busy GT3 year ahead for Lamborghini Junior Tim Zimmermann

In his second season with GRT Grasser Racing, Zimmermann has a full and varied calendar. The 24-year-old was recruited to the Lamborghini Squadra Corse junior programme in 2020 on the basis of his strong performances in the ADAC GT Masters. He made his endurance racing debut at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January of this year. Zimmermann’s presence in the GT World Challenge gives him the opportunity to contest further races in the endurance category in Europe, parallel with his commitments in the ADAC GT Masters.

Tim Zimmermann: “I’m really looking forward to the exciting programme lined up for me this year. The ADAC GT Masters and the GT World Challenge Europe are the elite of GT3 racing, and the standard in both series is extremely demanding. The mix of sprint and endurance races is definitely going to be beneficial for my personal development. The latter are a new challenge for me, and the Endurance Cup will be an opportunity to gain vital experience in this category. I would like to thank Lamborghini Squadra Corse and GRT Grasser Racing for giving me this chance. I am very excited about the season and working with Kikko.”

Kikko Galbiati makes GT World Challenge Europe breakthrough with Lamborghini

For Galbiati, promotion to the Endurance Cup marks the next big step in GT racing. The 22-year-old is also a member of the Lamborghini Junior squad. He booked his seat in the GT3 cockpit via the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series. After finishing second in the Pro-Am classification of the one-make cup in 2017, he finished third and second in the Pro classification in 2018 and 2019. Last year, he finished third in the Italian GT3 Championship at the wheel of a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO – the perfect recommendation for a move up to the GT World Challenge Europe.

Kikko Galbiati: “I am very proud to be part of the Grasser family and can’t wait for the first race of the year. I’m not expecting it to be an easy season, because it will be my debut year in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and I know that the standard of competition is extremely high. At the same time, I feel really at home with GRT Grasser Racing, and I am confident that we will do a good job. My objective is to win the Silver Cup championship together with Tim. I want to thank Lamborghini and Gottfried for this opportunity, as well as my family and partners who have supported me over the years and made all of this possible.”

Team Principal Gottfried Grasser: “I am very excited about our team returning to GT World Challenge Europe this year. The Endurance Cup is of great importance to us, and we aim to build on our successful record in this series. In the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO, we have a highly competitive package for the race tracks of Europe. I am delighted to have named Tim and Kikko as the first of two strong driver pairings for our return. Last year, we organised a test for the two of them, and they both put in tremendous performances. We were very pleased with the way in which Tim worked with the team in the 2020 ADAC GT Masters, and we also have high expectations of Kikko. He has managed to make his way into GT3 racing via the Lamborghini Super Trofeo and has shown strong performances in the Italian championship. I am confident that this duo are going to give us a lot of joy in the Silver Cup.”

Source. GRT Grasser Racing/Photo. Fotospeedy