LMDh cars will be able to compete in both the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship
Sant’Agata Bolognese, May 17, 2022 – Lamborghini Squadra Corse has started development work on its first LMDh hybrid prototype, which will debut in 2024 in the FIA World Endurance Championship (Hypercar class) and in the IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship (GTP class). Since 2015 Lamborghini has competed at the top of GT motorsport, thanks to over 40 titles and results such as the triple consecutive victory in the GTD class at the 24 Hours of Daytona, from 2018 to 2020. Now, with the commitment in the LMDh category, Lamborghini reaches the top levels of motor sport with covered wheels, with the possibility of competing for absolute victory in the most prestigious endurance races in the world, such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 Hours of Sebring.
«This step marks an important milestone for our company – commented Stephan Winkelmann, Lamborghini Chairman and CEO -. We will compete with the best on the most demanding test bench. This project will give our motorsport program even greater visibility while allowing us to test the technologies of the future. Our LMDh prototype will become a sophisticated laboratory on four wheels “.
The LMDh program fits perfectly into Lamborghini’s transition to hybrid technologies: by the end of 2024 the entire road range will be hybridized. The LMDh cars, acronym for Le Mans Daytona hybrid, will debut in the race in 2023 and will be admitted to the highest classes of the FIA WEC World Championship and the American IMSA WeatherTech Sports Car Championship.. For Lamborghini, the LMDh program is added to the current GT platforms managed by Squadra Corse, the Super Trofeo one-make series and GT3 competitions, which will remain the basis of Lamborghini’s commitment to motorsport.
«I am thrilled that the company has taken this new step in our motorsport path, entering the highest level of covered wheel competitions – he comments Giorgio Sanna, Lamborghini Head of Motorsport -. The LMDh project will play a fundamental role in our strategy, giving us the opportunity to expand our customer racing philosophy to new platforms, while also strengthening our relationships with teams and drivers “.
Pierre Fillon, President of the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest): «The entry into the LMDh category of a prestigious brand such as Lamborghini is splendid news for the world of endurance racing. The Hypercar class is attracting builders from all over the world; we are about to celebrate the centenary of the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the beginning of a new golden age of endurance. And I for one am ready to enjoy it to the fullest».
John Doonan, President of IMSA (International Motor Sports Association): «IMSA boasts a ten-year partnership with Lamborghini, dating back to the birth of the North American Super Trofeo. We are therefore proud that Lamborghini confirms its debut in the IMSA GTP class from 2024: having a brand of this caliber in GTP helps to strengthen the entire LMDh platform that we have developed together with our ACO partners and we are looking forward to it. to see the new Lamborghini prototypes on the track».
Frédéric Lequien, FIA World Endurance Championship CEO: “The announcement of Lamborghini’s debut in the Hypercar class of the FIA WEC honors us. Lamborghini is an iconic brand, however it has not yet competed in the top endurance category until now. The debut will take place in a unique moment in the history of the FIA WEC and 2024 will see an exceptional number of brands racing in the premier class: the competition will be fierce but I am sure that Lamborghini will be able to assert itself “.
Source: Media Lamborghini
