Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the Italian manufacturer’s motorsport division, verified on Tuesday that it will contend at the pinnacle of sportscar racing for the first time, which will consist of bids for outright honours at the 24-hour stamina classics at Le Mans and Daytona.
It follows a collection of statements over the past 12 months from Giorgio Sanna, the manager of Squadra Corse, outlining an intent to build a automobile for the new group coming on stream in equally WEC and IMSA following time.
Lamborghini has not uncovered its specialized associates for the move into LMDh in year two of the group, but it is known that it is partnering with French constructor Ligier Automotive.
Ligier, just one of four certified constructors for the future-gen LMP2 chassis all around which LMDh vehicles will have to be primarily based, is therefore set for its 1st maker partner, with Oreca, Dallara and Multimatic now all obtaining at least one particular confirmed companion each and every.
Affirmation of Lamborghini’s Ligier tie-up is anticipated in July on a more announcement, which will most likely incorporate the configuration of the new car’s inside combustion engine.
Lamborghini chairman and CEO Stephan Winkelmann reported: “This phase up into the optimum echelon of sportscar racing marks an critical milestone for our firm. We will be measuring ourselves against the quite most effective, on the most demanding proving grounds.
“On 1 hand, this will give our effective motorsports programme even extra visibility, but it will also let us to examination upcoming technologies: our LMDh prototypes will turn into our most subtle open laboratory on 4 wheels.”
Lamborghini is adding LMDh to its existing programmes in GT3 and a single-make racing with its portfolio of Super Trofeo sequence all around the entire world.
The Volkswagen team brand gets the seventh manufacturer to commit to producing an LMDh following Audi, Porsche, Acura, BMW, Cadillac and Alpine, although Audi’s programme is formally on maintain and is recognized to have been axed previously this 12 months.
Frederic Lequien, WEC CEO, Pierre Fillon, President ACO, Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini, Jim France, ISC, Richard Mille, John Doonan, IMSA, Ed Bennett, IMSA
Image by: Lamborghini S.p.A.
Lamborghini experienced been performing to piggy again on the very same Porsche-led VW team LMDh venture as Audi, which is staying carried out in conjunction with Multimatic.
But it has now switched tack to do the job with Ligier, part of a broader group with which it has an current romance.
Italian-primarily based HP Composites, which like Ligier is portion of former Le Mans racer Jacques Nicolet’s Everspeed team, generates carbon-fibre components for the Huracan GT3 and the Super Trofeo racers.
The Lamborghini LMDh assaults in the prime lessons of the WEC and IMSA, respectively referred to as Hypercar and GTP, will replicate the model of the marque’s GT3 programme.
There will not be overt manufacturing unit teams in both arena rather Lamborghini will aid shopper functions in the identical way as it does with the Huracan GT3 Evo in sequence these types of as the GT Globe Challenge Europe, the DTM and the GT Daytona lessons in IMSA.
Sanna alluded to this in Lamborghini’s LMDh announcement, declaring the new programme will supply “the exceptional prospect to extend our consumer racing actions to new platforms and enforce our lengthy-term partnership with consumer teams and drivers”.
Lamborghini loans out motorists from its manufacturing unit roster to race the Huracan.
It is no coincidence that Lambo works driver Mirko Bortolotti will be attaining prototype practical experience in LMP2 at Le Mans this yr with the Belgian WRT staff, winner of the class at the 24 Hours in 2021.
Teams with which Lamborghini is identified to be in negotiation incorporate Prema, which has joined the LMP2 arena in the WEC and the sister European Le Mans Series this yr. Both equally Lamborghini and Prema have pressured that no deal has been done so considerably.
Lamborghini’s announcement was welcomed by both WEC promoter the Automobile Club de l’Ouest and IMSA.
ACO president Pierre Fillon reported: “To be joined by these types of a prestigious make as Lamborghini is excellent for endurance racing.”
IMSA manager John Doonan additional: “IMSA has savored a longstanding partnership with Lamborghini courting back to the introduction of Lamborghini Tremendous Trofeo North The united states a 10 years ago and continuing into a productive GTD programme [with the Huracan].
“We are proud that Lamborghini is confirming options to improve its IMSA footprint even additional in 2024 into GTP and the top category of prototype sporting activities auto racing.”