Lamborghini Iron Lynx returns to action with its SC63 LMDh prototype this weekend for the third round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium, with an altered driver line-up in the #63 machine.
Lamborghini Factory Driver and IMSA SportsCar Championship regular Andrea Caldarelli teams up with Mirko Bortolotti and Daniil Kvyat for the 6 Hours of Spa, replacing Edoardo Mortara, who is competing in the FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin.
The team enters the Spa weekend off the back of a promising weekend on home soil at Imola last month, where the SC63 again showed strong reliability en route to a 12th place finish. Race pace was also improved from the opening round of the year in Qatar, with Bortolotti’s fastest lap in the #63 just under half a second slower than the race-winning Toyota.
As has been the case throughout Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s maiden voyage into the top tier of world championship sportscar racing so far, continuous learning and understanding of the SC63 is the presiding objective for the Spa weekend. Reliability and mileage remain paramount for the Lamborghini Iron Lynx engineers and technicians while also additional focus on improving both short and long run performance is part of the programme.
The 6 Hours of Spa is also an important preparation for the entire Lamborghini Iron Lynx squad ahead of its eagerly anticipated debut in the 24 Hours of Le Mans next month. Round three of the WEC season, therefore, is the last major competitive test before the jewel-in-the-crown endurance event in motorsport.
In LMGT3, there is one change to the #85 Iron Dames line-up, with Rahel Frey teaming up again with full-season drivers Michelle Gatting and Sarah Bovy; the latter hails from nearby Liège and lives just over 90 minutes away in Brussels. The #60 Iron Lynx Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 remains unchanged, with Franck Perera, Matteo Cressoni and Claudio Schiavoni partnering once more.
The 7.004km Spa-Francorchamps circuit is perhaps one of the most demanding tracks on the FIA WEC calendar and offers a variety of challenges for both drivers and teams. Overtaking opportunities are not rare, with La Source, Les Combes and the Bus Stop chicane all lending themselves to passing. Traffic management will also be a crucial element of the race, particularly where the track narrows in the second sector. High downforce and top speeds will also be high up on the agenda as the teams build up to Le Mans in June.
The weekend at a glance
Thursday 9th May
Free Practice 1 (11:30 – 13:00)
Free Practice 2 (17:30 – 19:00)
Friday 10th May
Free Practice 3 (11:00 – 12:00)
Qualifying LMGT3 (14:45 – 15:00)
Hyperpole (15:08 – 15:20)
Qualifying Hypercar (15:30 – 15:45)
Hyperpole (15:53 – 16:05)
Saturday 11th May
6 Hours of Spa Race (13:00-19:00)
All times CET
