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/ Lamborghini Iron Lynx’s racing director Emmanuel Esnault expressed gratitude for his team’s seventh-place finish at their debut in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTP at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
The #63 Lamborghini Iron Lynx SC63 car, driven by Matteo Cairoli, Andrea Caldarelli, and Romain Grosjean, crossed the finish line ahead of two other GTP class competitors.
Following their participation in the nearly 10-hour race in Qatar for the FIA World Endurance Championship two weeks prior, this was the SC63’s second race appearance, this time at the prestigious endurance classic at Sebring International Raceway.
“We can take pride in what we achieved at Sebring,” said Esnault.
“We successfully completed one of the most challenging races in the world and overcame every obstacle that came our way.
“Our drivers and team members worked tirelessly, constantly adapting and keeping the bigger picture in mind.”
“There is still much work to be done, but we believe that we made significant progress at Sebring that will benefit us throughout the remainder of our 2024 journey.
“Participating in our first IMSA race was a major challenge, considering that this project is still in its early stages, but both here and in Qatar, we demonstrated that as a team, we can make a difference.
“Our focus now shifts to our home [WEC] race at Imola, but we leave the USA feeling highly motivated and eagerly anticipating our return to the track.”
During qualifying, Cairoli recorded a lap time of 1:53.574, placing them at the back of the GTP field.
However, their primary goal was to reach the checkered flag in the second-longest event on the IMSA calendar.
Grosjean and Caldarelli took over driving duties after Cairoli’s initial double stint, and they continued to run behind the GTP class and ahead of LMP2.
Despite numerous incidents that led to 12 caution periods during the race, Lamborghini only encountered an issue with the driver’s door not closing while Grosjean was behind the wheel.
Most importantly, they did not experience any major reliability problems throughout the 12 hours, despite the demanding track surface at Sebring, which put significant stress on the powertrain and electronics.
Although they were unable to showcase competitive pace, they successfully defended their seventh-place position against two other Hypercars during the final sprint to the finish under green-flag conditions.