Latest chapter of Squadra Corse shifts up a gear at Paul Ricard in France
Sant’Agata Bolognese, 9 April 2026 – Lamborghini will embark on the European racing debut of the new Temerario GT3 this weekend, with a two-car effort in the opening round of the GT World Challenge Europe season at Paul Ricard.
Defending Spa 24 Hours race winners Grasser Racing Team and new-for-2026 Lamborghini partner Rutronik Racing will each field a single car in what will be the Temarario GT3’s second competitive outing after finishing inside the top 10 on its long-awaited debut at Sebring last month.
The GTWC Europe Endurance Cup is regarded as one of the most competitive GT3 racing championships in the world and one which Lamborghini has been at the forefront of since the creation of the Squadra Corse racing division, winning the title in 2017 and 2019.
The car
The Temerario GT3 marks the latest chapter in the history of Lamborghini Squadra Corse, which was founded in 2013, and is the first racing model entirely conceived, designed and built in-house at the Sant’Agata Bolognese factory. The six-speed V8 twin-turbo powered car, which amassed over 15,000km in testing before completing the full 12 Hours of Sebring distance in March, replaces the outgoing naturally aspirated V10 Huracán model after a 10-year journey which delivered over 200 race victories and 99 major championship titles.
In Sebring, the car enjoyed a largely trouble-free maiden weekend of competition. With a quick turnaround from the delivery of the car to customer team Pfaff Motorsports, it completed free practice and qualifying without any mechanical problems and fought for a strong top 10 result for much of the 12-hour race on Saturday. A late-race drivetrain issue meant it dropped a lap, but it still managed to finish 10th at the end.
The crews
Tasked with giving the Temerario GT3 its GTWC debut this weekend is a full roster of Lamborghini factory drivers, with extensive series experience and success. Franck Perera – the only driver in Paul Ricard with prior race experience of the Temerario GT3 – is joined by 2017 GTWC Endurance Cup champion and 2025 Spa 24 Hour winner Mirko Bortolotti. The trio in the #63 car is completed by Maximilian Paul, who was announced as a factory driver in January.
Across the walk at Rutronik Racing, Patric Niederhauser – a long-term Rutronik driver and 2025 GTWC Europe Endurance Cup champion – makes his Lamborghini factory debut in France, while offering the German team a degree of continuity over the off-season. The Swiss driver will line up alongside Bortolotti’s Spa 24 winning team-mate Luca Engstler and Marco Mapelli in the #96 machine.
Lamborghini at Paul Ricard
Although it has taken two class victories at the Paul Ricard circuit in GTWC Europe competition in the past (2017 in Pro-Am and 2018 in Silver Cup), Lamborghini has yet to stand on the top step of the overall podium in the 1000km. Its best result is second, achieved in 2024, while it also achieved a hat-trick of third place finishes between 2019 and 2021. Lamborghini has also started the race from pole position on three occasions, in 2015, 2021 and 2024, with Bortolotti each time part of the driver line-up.
The weekend at a glance
Wednesday 8th April
Official Prologue – morning session 1 (09:00-13:00)
Official Prologue – afternoon session (14:00-17:00)
Thursday 9th April
Official Prologue – morning session 2 (09:00-13:00)
Friday 10th April
Free Practice 1 (14:25-15:55)
Free Practice 2 (19:25-20:55)
Saturday 11th April
Qualifying (12:05-13:15)
Race (18:00-00:00) live streamed on the GT World YouTube channel
