Perez Companc and Bortolotti secure first win of the season for Lamborghini

• Four ADAC GT Masters races so far, and four different driver pairings as winners
• P1 and P3 for Lamborghinis entered by GRT Grasser Racing
• Defending champions in the runner-up spot

Klettwitz: Third place on Saturday, pole position and a comfortable lights-to-flag victory in the ADAC GT Masters on Sunday – for the Lamborghini duo of Ezequiel Perez Companc (22, RA) and Mirko Bortolotti (27, ITA, both GRT Grasser Racing Team), the trip to the Motorsport Festival Lausitzring was certainly well worthwhile. The Argentine-Italian duo secured a first win of season for Lamborghini in Round 4 of the Super Sports Car League on a weekend when 67,500 race fans came through the gates. In second place were the current title holders, Connor De Phillippi (24, USA) and Christopher Mies (27, DEU) in their Montaplast by Land Motorsport Audi R8, ahead of Rolf Ineichen (39, CH) and Christian Engelhart (30, DEU) in GRT Grasser Racing’s other Lamborghini. “That was a perfect race and a great victory,” said Bortolotti after lifting his second winner’s trophy in the ADAC GT Masters. “We did everything right, and I’m very happy.”

Perez Companc and Bortolotti in dominant form

The winning duo dictated the race from start to finish. From pole position, Bortolotti went into an immediate lead which he maintained right through to the mandatory pit stop on Lap 24. Co driver Perez Companc continued in the same vein and ultimately took the chequered flag 1.5 seconds ahead of the runner-up. As well as the win in the general classification, he also picked up the Junior trophy for drivers under 25 years of age. Perez Companc and Bortolotti have become the fourth driver pairing to win in four races of the current Super Sports Car League.

For much of the race, it looked as if the BMW M6 of Ricky Collard (20, GB) and Philipp Eng (27, AUT, both BMW Team Schnitzer) would claim the second rung on the podium. Eng got off to a sensational start moving up from seventh to P2. After the change of driver, co-driver Collard initially held on to second but ultimately finished fifth. The runner-up spot went to the Audi pairing of De Phillippi and Mies ahead of the Lamborghini driven by Trophy class winners Ineichen and Engelhart. Jules Gounon (22, FRA) and Daniel Keilwitz (27, DEU, both Callaway Competition) crossed the line in fourth place after an impressive charge through the field from P11 on the grid.

Behind fifth-placed Collard and Eng were Patrick Assenheimer (25, DEU) and Maximilian Götz (31, DEU, both Mercedes-AMG Team HTP Motorsport) in the best of the Mercedes-AMG GT3s. In seventh and eighth were the two Aust Motorsport Audi R8s, as Markus Pommer (26, DEU) and Kelvin van der Linde (20, ZA) pipped their team-mates Dennis Marschall (20, DEU) and Patric Niederhauser (25, CH).

Philip Geipel (30, DEU) and Rahel Frey (31, CH, both YACO Racing) finished ninth in another Audi R8, and the last championship point went to the Mercedes-AMG Team HTP Motorsport pairing of Indy Dontje (24, NL) and Marvin Kirchhöfer (23, DEU).

Saturday’s winners Robert Renauer (32, DEU) and Sven Müller (25, DEU, both Precote Herberth Motorsport) did not reach the finish line after their Porsche 911 sustained tyre damage in a collision.

Comments from the winners

Mirko Bortolotti (GRT Grasser Racing Team, Lamborghini Huracán GT3): “I successfully defended the lead going into the first corner. At first, I came under pressure from Philipp Eng, but as the race progressed, I gradually pulled out a gap. We left our pit stop as late as possible, which enabled us to extend our lead even further. As the pursuing bunch were fighting among themselves, Ezequiel was able to increase the gap to around seven seconds. It was a wonderful performance. I am very pleased for him and for the whole team.”

Ezequiel Perez Companc (GRT Grasser-Racing-Team, Lamborghini Huracán GT3): “I am very happy; this is my first victory with the team. Everything has worked out well today, and the team did a great job. Mirko’s first stint was mega – all I had to do was see that lead through to the finish. It’s a great feeling to have won here.”