Successful end to the season for GRT last weekend in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS Endurance Cup. The fifth and final race weekend of the renowned endurance championship of SRO Motorsports Group took the Lamborghini Squadra Corse-supported team from Austria to Saudi Arabia. In the 6-hour race at the Jeddah Formula 1 circuit, Franck Perera and Marco Mapelli in the MOUNTAIN WOLF-backed #163 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 achieved an excellent second place in the field of 47 entries. The trio thus finished in second place of the overall driver standings in the prestigious Endurance Cup. In the team classification, Grasser Racing finished the championship in third place.
 
The PRO line-up performed strongly right from the start at the 6.176-kilometre Jeddah Corniche Circuit. In the first part of qualifying, Franck Perera set the best time. Consistent performances by his teammates in the other segments of qualifying ensured that the #163 took up the last race of the season from second place on the grid. The #19 sister car entry in the Silver Cup of Mateo Llarena, Loris Cabirou and Isaac Tutumlu Lopez qualified in 26th place overall and third in its class.
 
In Saturday’s race, the maximum points score of 33 points was awarded for victory. The #163 trio was 15 points behind in the overall standings, while in the team standings, GRT were 13 points behind the leaders. At the start of the race at 5:00 p.m. local time, Marco Mapelli immediately joined the fight for victory. The Italian was the only driver to keep up with the leader during the first stint. A brief full course yellow in this early phase caught GRT off guard. As part of the leading group, Mapelli had just passed the pit lane when the race was neutralised, allowing the competitors behind him to take the opportunity to pit under yellow. Mateo Llarena had an unlucky start. The Italian Lamborghini Young Driver had to retire the car with a sensor problem after 20 laps.
 
With Jordan Pepper at the wheel, the #163 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 took the lead in the second hour of the race after a neutralisation. The South African then extended the lead to up to ten seconds, until another full course yellow slowed the field down. Franck Perera took over in third position after the second driver change. The Frenchman then took turns with Marco Mapelli and Jordan Pepper, getting back into the car for the final hour of the race. After another restart with 25 minutes remaining, he held off the competition in a hard-fought battle and also set a new fastest race lap with four laps to go. The Lamborghini Factory Driver then went on to secure second place after 161 laps.
 
Thanks to the podium, Franck Perera, Marco Mapelli and Jordan Pepper concluded the season runner-up in the drivers‘ standings in the Endurance Cup with 63 points, just eight points behind the overall winners. In the team standings, GRT finished third with 68 points. They missed the title by nine points. The finale in Jeddah marked the end of a successful season for team principal Gottfried Grasser’s outfit. The #163 line-up celebrated two major highlights with victory at the Nürburgring and pole position for the legendary 24 hours of Spa-Francorchamps. In addition, the factory drivers achieved another podium finish and two fastest laps by Marco Mapelli and Franck Perera.
 
Jordan Pepper (RSA) / Marco Mapelli (ITA) / Franck Perera (FRA)
#163 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2
PRO CUP
Qualifying: P2 – Race: P2

Jordan Pepper: „The car was very fast from the first moment, but we also realised that we would need a bit of luck to win the championship. Unfortunately, the yellow flags cost us the victory and the title when we were in the lead and things were going very well. But nevertheless, we look back on the whole season with immense pride. We were in the role of the hunter and always had a fast package with which we represented Grasser Racing, Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Mountain Wolf at the top of this strong racing series. A big thank you to Gottfried for his trust, he and his team have done an incredible job, and also thanks to Marco and Franck. I couldn’t have wished for better teammates. Second place is ultimately a strong result in this championship and in 2025 we want to aim even higher.“
 
Marco Mapelli: „The season was a rollercoaster ride. We had a perfect car at every race weekend, the crew did a really great job. The development was always going in the right direction and we also had the best possible package here at the finale. We gave it our all on the racetrack, but unfortunately we had bad luck with the neutralisations at the end in Monza and also at the finale. But our team spirit has always carried us, we pushed to the end and can be satisfied with our performance. Many thanks to the entire GRT team and to my team-mates Franck and Jordan. Everyone has shown a tremendous effort and I hope that we will be back together again next year.“

Franck Perera: „I gave it everything I had in the last stint to the checkered flag, because I knew about our chance at the championship. We were close and then it’s hard to accept when it doesn’t work out. That being said, we had some really great moments this season. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved as a team this year. The team spirit was incredible and we were able to fight at the front every time. A big thank you to everyone at Grasser Racing for the fantastic job they have done this year. We drivers were able to show what we are capable of with this car every day. Many thanks also to Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Mountain Wolf for their great support. For me, it was one of my best seasons in GT racing, and next year we want to come back even stronger.“

Gottfried Grasser, Team Principal of GRT: „Unfortunately, the race didn’t go in our favour with all the neutralisations. The first full course yellow was a very unfortunate decision, because everyone in the field should actually get the chance to come into the pits under yellow. That set us back, but otherwise it was a great race from our PRO line-up. All three drivers had incredible pace and did a perfect job. We kept our title chances alive until the last yellow, but in the end our competitors capitalised. Nevertheless, it has been a great season for us and we can be proud of our performance. Second place in the overall standings is a great success. Many thanks to Lamborghini Squadra Corse, Mountain Wolf and our three factory drivers. We achieved the best result in Lamborghini’s history at the Spa 24 Hours, won at the Nürburgring and were back on the podium in Jeddah. Unfortunately, our line-up in the Silver Cup was often unlucky during the season. In the second half of the year, we had what it takes to make it onto the class podium, but it wasn’t meant to be. They had a puncture early on Saturday and then a sensor that never normally causes any problems put an end to their race.“