Lamborghini to enter three cars - for Macau GT World Cup assault

2024-10-22

Lamborghini Squadra Corse will embark on three-car factory supported entries in the Macau GT World Cup, with a trio of Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2s set to do battle on one of the fastest and most demanding street tracks in the world, the Guia Circuit. Leading the Sant’Agata Bolognese firm’s charge is Macau specialist and Lamborghini Factory Driver Edoardo Mortara who will be partnered at SJM VSR Theodore Racing by fellow Factory Driver, Matteo Cairoli.

Mortara’s prowess around the Guia Circuit is second to none. Since his first appearance in 2008, the Swiss driver has stood on the podium a staggering 16 times, including a total of 10 victories across qualification (2008, 2010 and 2017), main (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2017) and support races (2013) in both Formula 3 and GT machinery. Having made his Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 debut in Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup earlier this year, Mortara will hope to add to his tally in his second outing in the car.

Team-mate Cairoli is taking on the famous Macau GT World Cup event for the second time after making his debut last season at the wheel of a Porsche. Another newcomer to the VSR fold, the Italian – who has plied his trade in both GTWC Europe in the Huracán GT3 and IMSA aboard the Lamborghini SC63 – completes a formidable driver line-up in China. A third Huracán GT3 EVO2 is entered by Liqui Moly Team Engstler for Lamborghini GT3 Junior Driver Luca Engstler. The German, who has driven the Guia Circuit before in TCR machinery, is no stranger to the streets of Macau and will be aiming to end a promising maiden season at the wheel of a Lamborghini – in which he took his second DTM win on the final weekend at Hockenheim – with another strong result.

Track Description

At 6.11km and 24 turns, the Macau Guia Circuit is one of the longest and most demanding street tracks in the world, with plenty of dangers ready to catch out the unwitting driver. It features a number of unique features such as an elevation change of 30 metres between the lowest and highest points, plus one of the narrowest corners in motorsport, the Melco hairpin where the track is just seven metres wide. The Guia Circuit is a mix of high-speed straights and incredibly tight and twisty corners, some of which with stone walls at the apex, and require a finely balance car setup to meet the variety of corners and typical street venue bumps. Lisboa, Maternity, Police and Melco are just some of the iconic turns on the track, with the former the best overtaking opportunity at the end of the opening two long straights. The high-speed Mandarin kink at turn two is possibly the most dangerous and challenging corner as it is taken at near maximum speed while the right-hand Fisherman’s Bend at the end of the lap is crucial to build momentum heading back onto the main straight.

Key to a good result will be maximising performance in qualifying and the qualification race, which sets the grid for the main race on Sunday. As ever with street tracks, getting the right balance with the car and staying out of the barriers is essential.

Q&A with Edoardo Mortara

How does it feel to be representing Lamborghini at the FIA GT World Cup in Macau? “It feels really good to be there with Lamborghini this year, I have a long history with the race and have driven many times with various brands. And to be doing it this year with Lamborghini after a season together in the LMDh car, it’s a pleasure for me because even if it is going to be quite challenging, I feel quite comfortable on the track and hopefully I can be competitive with this car. It’s an iconic brand and an iconic track and to pair them together is really cool.”

What are the main challenges of the Guia Circuit? “Well, it’s a really challenging street course because, unlike other street tracks where you have a lot of slow-speed corners, here it is not really the case. There are a lot of medium to high-speed turns, a lot of bumps and really a complete racing circuit and one where the drivers can make the difference. Driving next to the wall is definitely one of the biggest challenges around this track.”

What is the key to a good lap-time at Macau? “You need to be really confident with the car, in order to go as close to the wall as possible without hitting it. You also need a setup that is balance: you want to have a car that is quite quick on the straights but also one that can handle the bumps and has some downforce for the second sector.”

How do you rate your chances in Macau after achieving so much success in the past? “I have absolutely no idea because this is going to be the first time together there with Lamborghini and we will be facing some tough competition. There are a lot of big brands and some of the best GT drivers in the world up against us, so it will be a tough fight. I hope we will be competitive, it’s motorsport you never know of course, but until we hit the track for practice and qualifying, I can’t really tell for the moment.”

Describe the atmosphere around Macau during the weekend

“It’s always really special, we have a lot of fans coming to attend the race and I actually have quite a lot of fans from Macau. My fanbase in Macau is quite good so hopefully we will still have a lot of people coming to support us and we have a good race weekend.”