Lamborghini’s factory GTP drivers for this weekend’s Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona say they have set “realistic” targets for the SC63 on its debut at the event.
After the Italian marque opted to scale back its LMDh effort over the winter to just five IMSA Endurance Cup races following the split with former service provider Iron Lynx, everyone involved is treating the first race of 2025 like a fresh start.
With the WEC Hypercar and LMGT3 programs shelved (for now at least) and Riley on board to help with technical support in Florida, everyone involved is focused on delivering standout results in the biggest races that North American sportscar racing has to offer.
The timing of the Rolex 24 is notable. It’s being held as the dust settles on Maurizio Leschiutta being named as Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s motorsport boss following Giorgio Sanna’s surprise departure from the position early in 2024. This new appointment is crucial as Lamborghini maps out its future strategy in customer and factory racing.
In this case, it promises to provide stability and direction for the SC63 at a time when its future has never felt more uncertain. A solid performance at Daytona International Speedway that showcases the car’s potential could be key to securing the program’s future.
2024 was tough. The car’s developmental program through 2023 was truncated by the first test chassis being written off in a nasty incident at Paul Ricard, making the effort’s first season in both IMSA and the FIA WEC a challenging exercise from its debut at Qatar onwards.
There were flashes of pace and some encouraging signs during the year: both cars finishing at Le Mans stood out, and making Hyperpole at Fuji and the run to the lead at Indianapolis late in the IMSA season was impressive. But what the Iron Lynx-led effort on both sides of the Atlantic lacked was a complete performance and a breakthrough result. As a result, expectations remain tough to gauge heading into Year 2.
“I think that there are a lot of uncertainties. Going into this race weekend, we don’t know if we are going to be competitive,” Edoardo Mortara admits to RACER.
“I think that this is the first thing that we really need to figure out. And then obviously, before winning a race, you need to finish it.
“The car actually has been proven to be quite reliable. This has been quite a strong point, especially for a first-year LMDh car. Hopefully, it’s going to be reliable this week too.”