Lamborghini recorded its first Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe victory since 2021 as Grasser Racing Team’s Jordan Pepper, Marco Mapelli, and Franck Perera came out on top in the third round of the Endurance Cup at the Nürburgring. This dominant performance marks a strong form for Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Grasser Racing Team, having taken pole position and fought for the podium positions at the 24 Hours of Spa last month.
The victory came after a thrilling battle with the #48 Mercedes, with Mapelli staving off a fierce attack in the second stint. By the time Perera took over, the margins were fine, with the Mercedes initially emerging from the final round of stops ahead, only for the #163 to swoop to the inside of turn one and start building a gap which extended to just over 10-seconds as the Mercedes lost out to the #22 Porsche at the end.
Pepper started the #163 and benefited from an ambitious overtaking attempt from the #71 Ferrari at turn one to snatch the lead from the pole-sitting #91 Porsche. From there, it was a straight battle with the #48 Mercedes across the remaining three hours, with Mapelli perfecting a cutback move at turn one to reclaim the lead.
In the car, the trio worked in perfect harmony, with each driver contributing to the team’s success. Pepper, who started the car, said, “It’s such an unbelievable day at the Nürburgring from, what was from our side, a really good qualifying starting from P3. We knew that anything could happen at the start and to get the lead at turn one was really the perfect execution, and from there we just had to push 110%.“
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Mapelli added, “I think we executed the race perfectly from the start; Jordan did an amazing job, and we were able to manage the race properly. The Mercedes had more than us at times but to stay behind another car is not easy. But in the end, we were able to manage it well and Franck did a great job. This is a big credit to Grasser because they prepared the car perfectly since Paul Ricard; we’ve had a decent shot since the start of the championship, so now we have to fight.“
Perera concluded, “I am really happy, really proud of the team, especially after the disappointment of Spa. Like Marco says, we have seen a strong pace since Paul Ricard and so this is a good result for everyone who keeps working hard. I want to thank my team-mates, and Lamborghini and now we can go for the title.“
This victory marks the latest in a strong run of form for Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Grasser Racing Team, and they will be looking to continue this momentum as they head to the penultimate round of the Endurance Cup campaign, which takes place on the weekend of 20-22 September at Monza.