The 2023 DTM season is slowly casting its shadow for GRT after an intensive preparation phase. In addition to their involvement in the GT World Challenge Europe, the Lamborghini team from Austria is once again taking on the battle in the most prestigious of all GT3 series. After the successful debut season in 2022, the outfit supported by Lamborghini Squadra Corse is fielding two new Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 this year. With Clemens Schmid in the number 63 car, team boss Gottfried Grasser's squad is relying on continuity. An announcement of the final line-up including the driver of the #19 sister car will be made soon.
GRT opened a new chapter last year with their entry into the DTM. At their first appearance in the legendary racing series, the Austrians seamlessly continued their successful history in GT3 racing with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO. Five podiums, one pole position and four fastest laps ensured a highly acclaimed debut. With Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti, the team also stayed in the title hunt until the very last race at Hockenheim. There, Clemens Schmid also shone at the finale of the season, narrowly missing out on his first DTM podium due to a puncture.
As a rookie, the 32-year-old from Steinach am Brenner in Tyrol proved his potential from the very beginning. Already on the third race weekend, he scored his first points in the fiercely contested DTM with sixth place at Imola. His steep learning curve culminated in a place on the front row of the grid in the final qualifying session of the year at the Hockenheimring. The continuation of the collaboration offers both team and driver the opportunity to build further on this promising development.
For GRT, a total of eight events with two races each are scheduled in the 2023 DTM. In the 37th season of the championship, the ADAC as the new promoter is providing various innovations and exciting portents. The season opener will take place at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben from May 26 to 28. The traditional highlight will be the races at the Norisring on the streets of Nuremberg in July. For the Grasser Racing Team, the home race at the Red Bull Ring in Styria from 22 to 24 September marks a very special highlight.
Clemens Schmid: "I am delighted to be competing for GRT in the DTM again this season. Together with my partners we have set the right course in the past months and are looking full of optimism at the upcoming challenge. We made very good progress last year and worked intensively over the winter to transfer our findings to the new car. With the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, we have a strong package and I am confident that we will continue where we left off in 2022."
Gottfried Grasser, Teamchef von GRT: "The winter was exceptionally long this time and we are very pleased to announce the next part of our program with our first driver for the DTM. It has always been our goal to be on the grid in the DTM this year as well. We are very proud and grateful to be entering our tenth season together with a fantastic partner such as Lamborghini Squadra Corse. It was also our wish when planning for 2023 to have Clemens in one of our cars again. He finished his debut season on a high and together we will give everything to build on that. Since we started working together in 2020, we have built a great relationship, which provides stability and trust in the team. Combined with our experience from the previous year, we have a solid starting point for the 2023 season, which will also benefit our second driver. With ADAC as the organizer, there are a few changes coming our way. We're looking forward to it and are confident that our experience in the ADAC GT Masters will prove useful in this respect."
Giorgio Sanna, Head of Lamborghini Squadra Corse: “The upcoming DTM season will see the debut of the new Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, marking another milestone in our brand's commitment to GT racing. GRT has been competing together with Lamborghini Squadra Corse at the highest level since the first generation of our GT3 car competed in its first race in 2015. We are proud about this long-term partnership, and we are glad to support the team and Clemens in this immensely competitive championship in 2023.”
