Christmas surprise at Lamborghini team SSR: Aston Martin works driver Nicki Thiim returns to the DTM, runner-up Mirko Bortolotti stays despite LMDh
Big surprise at SSR Performance: The Lamborghini team from Munich has officially confirmed that Nicki Thiim will be Mirko Bortolotti’s team-mate in the DTM in 2024. This comes just two days after the 34-year-old Dane was confirmed by Aston Martin as a works driver with a multi-year contract
“With Bortolotti and Thiim, we can compete at the very front of the DTM,” says team owner Stefan Schlund, delighted with his strong professional duo for the 2024 season. “We want to fight for the title in the new season and win the team championship.”
The 34-year-old son of DTM legend Kurt Thiim is therefore making a comeback in the traditional series, having already competed in the T3 Lamborghini in 2022. As in 2024, Thiim was given clearance as an Aston Martin works driver back then to realize his DTM dreams
After Aston Martin efforts: Thiim receives clearance
However, the commitment was ended prematurely two years ago after two disappointing weekends. Efforts to get him into the DTM with an Aston Martin afterwards failed. Incidentally, there were also plans for the 2024 season, but the plans to put together a package with the Bavarian Allied team or, most recently, the Belgian Comtoyou racing team, among others, could not be finalized again.
As a result, manager Dennis Rostek is likely to have changed his strategy – and opted for the strong Lamborghini team SSR Performance, with whom Bortolotti finished runner-up in last year’s championship, in order to place his protégé with a racing team capable of winning the title
SSR Performance Team 2024 with two alpha males
Thiim, who has already won at Le Mans and twice won the GTE Pro classification in the World Endurance Championship WEC, now replaces Lamborghini works driver Franck Perera, who was unlucky last year after his opening victory in Oschersleben. The constellation makes for great excitement, because with Thiim and the 33-year-old Lamborghini works driver Bortolotti, SSR now has two alpha animals on board.
However, owner Schlund is convinced that his driver pairing will enhance the team: “The chemistry is right. We’ve already worked great together with Mirko this year and have been successful together. Nicki brings a lot of individuality and we believe that he will enrich our team with his skills and experience. “
WEC commitment makes Bortolotti’s double program easier
The future of Bortolotti, who took three wins last year, had been uncertain after the end of the season, as he is to concentrate on the race premiere of Lamborghini’s new LMDh car in 2024 after numerous test drives.
However, as the Vienna-based Italian has been confirmed for the eight-weekend prototype program in the WEC and will not be competing in the US IMSA Sportscar Championship, which holds eleven race weekends, he has more capacity available for the DTM.
In 2024, Bortolotti, who still drove for the Grasser team in 2022, will therefore make a third attempt at the DTM title. He is considered the strongest driver in the Lamborghini Huracan GT3. It will be interesting to see how Thiim, who is familiar with the car from his T3 outings and last year’s Abt race on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, performs alongside him.
