Why the Lamborghini with the 19 will not be entered at the upcoming DTM weekend and why there could be a surprise in Spielberg
The Lamborghini Team Grasser will be at the start of the DTM weekend at the Sachsenring with only one car and regular driver Clemens Schmid. This is because the Austrian squad has not found a driver for the 19 car in which Maximilian Paul sensationally won at the Nürburgring and which was previously driven by Mick Wishofer.
“The car will remain empty”, A scenario that no team would wish for, as the car was entered for all DTM races in 2023 before the start of the season, which is why the Austrian squad will now, in all likelihood, have to pay a fine.
How much this will be under the ADAC’s management is unknown. Last year, when the ITR still organised the DTM, a whopping 40,000 euros plus VAT had to be paid per car for each missed race weekend.
Grasser announces “pro” for Spielberg and Hockenheim
While this will shrink the field from 28 to 27 cars for the comeback at the Sachsenring – the last time the DTM raced at the traditional MotoGP circuit was in 2002 – Grasser has now announced, however, that the car will be used at the then remaining races of the season at Spielberg and the Hockenheimring.
“We will be at the start with a sponsor and a good professional driver,” says the team boss, who does not want to reveal more about the personnel. However, it is said to be a Lamborghini works driver.
Initially, the assignment was only about the home race on the Red Bull Ring, which is only a few kilometres away from the workshop in St. Margareten. However, according to Grasser, it could now be “very possible” that the driver will also compete alongside Schmid at the season finale in Hockenheim in the 19 car.
Paul and Wishofer no longer an issue for Grasser in 2023
Maximilian Paul, who showed off at the Nürburgring and had problems with the cooling system in the cockpit of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo2 at the home race in Lausitz and retired both times, will definitely not be racing for Grasser again this year in the DTM.
This is because he is prevented from racing on all three remaining race weekends due to overlaps with the GT Open Series.
“Max is a super guy who is going to be really good,” says Grasser about the 26-year-old Paul, who wants to make the leap into the works squad as a Young Professional at Lamborghini. At the Lausitzring, too, the youngster “convinced him in terms of speed and also in terms of his demeanour”.
The Viennese Wishofer, who drove the first three weekends of the season for the Grasser Team before – as rumoured in the paddock – running out of money, will not return to the Grasser Lamborghini in 2023. “I can rule that out,” says Grasser, without wanting to go into detail.
