24h Le Mans
The Lamborghini SC63 took its rookie start in the 92nd 24 Hours last Saturday under the banner of Lamborghini Iron Lynx. Both Hypercars made it to the chequered flag without major incident, a historic first for the Italian marque at the Le Mans classic.
The most remarkable performance was executed by the #63 driven by Mirko Bortolotti/Daniil Kvyat/Edoardo Mortara, finishing 10th overall, no small feat for a first participation. The achievement reflects the painstaking preparation and commitment level of the entire team..
Mirko Bortolotti: I am extremely proud of everybody who is a part of this project, Iron Lynx, Lamborghini, all the mechanics, teammates and engineers. They worked their asses off all week, and to finish with both cars at Le Mans in our debut here and having one car finish inside the top 10, it's an amazing achievement. This projet started less than a year ago, so [it's] an amazing day and [I'm] really happy with how we executed the race. For sure, we still have a lot of work to do, we know that, but we are going to enjoy this result and focus on the next steps. Bortolotti's statement underscores the collective determination it took to pull off such an outstanding result less than a year in to the SC63's development.
Daniil Kvyat appreciates all of the effort made by the team since the start of the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship season. Danniil Kvyat: It is really an amazing result for us, we have to enjoy this result, which is a great reward for all the hard work the team has put in since the start of the season. The next steps we have to take are crucial, but if we have managed to get this result with the car we have, brand new with no upgrades, it shows how strong we are and that in the future we can hopefully fight for the victories.
The sister car shared by Matteo Cairoli/Andrea Caldarelli/Romain Grosjean finished 13th. The French-Swiss former Formula 1 driver reached the chequered flag for the first time in this second participation. Romain Grosjean: I never finished the first Le Mans I did, so I am really proud that we managed to get to the end this year. Honestly, driving the Lamborghini was a dream, in the day and in the night, it was so much fun. Thanks to everyone in the team for the opportunity. I've always wanted to do it and now I have. There are, of course, bits and pieces that we can improve in order to get into the top 10, even if it wasn't our open objective, and it's great that the other [car] did it, but I think we also had a top 10 pace this weekend.
The Lamborghini SC63's debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans was marked by a heady combination of reliability and performance, and these encouraging results bode well for the Italian carmaker's future in the FIA WEC. With such a solid foundation, prospects for development and ongoing improvements, Lamborghini Iron Lynx is fully expected to climb the hierarchy of the Hypercar category in short order.
