The preparations are finished, the race week has started, now it’s time to get serious: On Saturday and Sunday (1/2 June) Kelvin van der Linde, Jordan Pepper and Marco Mapelli will face one of the biggest challenges in international motorsport. As Red Bull Team ABT they want to fight for overall victory in the legendary 24-hour race on the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife in the ABT Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.
This will be ABT’s eleventh appearance at the endurance classic. The debut was in 1999 with an Audi A4 quattro powered by natural gas – the race with the innovative drive concept was a little sensation at the time. The Abt-Audi TT-R from the DTM, the Audi R8 LMS and the Bentley Continental GT3 followed. The best results were two second places in the 2003 and 2009 editions. Last year, ABT returned to the Nordschleife with the Lamborghini. After two early punctures, the team dropped back to 35th place, but still managed to finish in the top ten.
The 585-horsepower Lamborghini, which was already a crowd favorite in 2023, will be sporting the look of its new partner Red Bull, which is also the team’s namesake. The glossy black has been transformed into a dark and matte blue with the famous red bull. Other partners include suspension specialist H&R, technology company Schaeffler, expert electronics stores, Sony PlayStation PS5 and high-performance foil specialist SÜDPACK. The team is also supported by Lamborghini Singen, MAN, Metzner, Ravenol, Riedel, Sabelt, s.Oliver, Tanners and TM Performance.
The weekend’s racing begins on Saturday at 16:00 CEST and ends 24 hours later. Three qualifying sessions are scheduled for Thursday (13:00 to 14:45 and 20:00 to 23:30) and Friday (13:30 to 14:45). ABT is already qualified for the final top qualifying session for the best cars on Friday evening after its strong performance in the qualifying sessions in mid-April. The Red Bull ABT Team finished eighth in both races.
Martin Tomczyk, ABT Motorsport Director: “It’s great that the race week has finally started. We have prepared ourselves meticulously for these days over the last few months on the race track and at home in Kempten. Now we are ready for the Nordschleife. We were competitive right from the start when ABT made its comeback last year, and now the drivers and the team have gained even more experience with the car. Kelvin, Marco and Jordan feel comfortable in the car, which is an important factor for the race. Expectations are difficult to make in a 24-hour race, let alone on the Nordschleife. But of course, our goal is to be right at the front and fight for victory.”
Kelvin van der Linde (South Africa, #27): “You can already feel the anticipation for this season’s highlight throughout the team. Everyone is looking forward to the Nordschleife. The start of the new project with Lamborghini was good, we already showed our potential last year. Now we have prepared even more intensively and are hoping for a smooth race with little misfortune – if that is the case, a very, very good result is possible. For me personally, these are exciting weeks with two DTM events and two 24-hour races within only four weeks – but I really like so much action.”
Marco Mapelli (Italy, #27): “Expectations are naturally high this year because our debut last year was strong and now we were able to prepare even more intensively. All we need now is some fine tuning over the next few days. There is a lot of positive energy in the whole team, with all the mechanics, engineers and riders: everyone has the same goal in mind. Now it’s up to all of us to do a flawless job and stay out of trouble for 24 hours.”
Jordan Pepper (South Africa, #27): “I come to the Nürburgring with a lot of confidence and anticipation. It paid off that we didn’t give up after the early punctures last year, but fought all the way to the finish. That experience and all the data we collected helped us a lot in our preparation for this race, so we are even better prepared. The whole team has remained almost identical, Lamborghini is giving us a strong car, new cool partners like Red Bull are on board and we drivers fit together perfectly – the best conditions for such a big challenge.”
Did you know that …
… the Lamborghini is once again easily recognizable at night thanks to the illuminated strip that caused a sensation last year? The color is still a surprise though.
… Red Bull Team ABT has its own merchandising products? Hoodies, shirts, caps and lanyards are available at 15 points of sale around the Ring or in the online shop at www.paddock-legends.com
… the drivers will be signing autographs in the pit lane on Friday evening from 19:45?
… the team autograph card will also be available in the tent throughout the weekend?
… Kelvin van der Linde will take a helicopter ride over the Nordschleife with RTL before the race?
… for the ninth time, the Cologne-based TV station will broadcast the 24-hour race exclusively on NITRO, this time for 26 hours from the Ring?
… Daniel Abt will also appear as an expert and co-commentator?
… some mechanics from the ABT Formula E and DTM teams still enjoy motorsport in their free time and visit the Nürburgring privately?
… ski racer and Kitzbühel winner Thomas Dreßen, who retired in January, is visiting ABT this weekend?
… partner Red Bull gives all fans the opportunity to drive a lap around the Nordschleife in a Lamborghini on the simulator in the eSports Bar on the Ring Boulevard?
… Kelvin van der Linde will set a lap time on Thursday afternoon?
Published by: ABT Sportsline
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