Every rain shower is followed by sunshine and every champagne shower by a laundry. After the sensational victory in the DTM at the Nürburgring, the GRT crew's overalls are ready for the next race weekend. For the Lamborghini Squadra Corse supported outfit from Austria, the Lausitzring is calling from 18 to 20 August for the fifth stop in the prestigious championship. Kicking off the second half of the season, DTM race winner Maximilian Paul will once again take to the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 alongside Clemens Schmid. The surprise winner from the Nürburgring has the home advantage on his side for the races not far from his birthplace.
What began for Maximilian Paul in the Eifel as a one-off appearance for Grasser Racing in the DTM will find its well-deserved continuation next weekend at the Lausitzring. The 23-year-old from Dresden was originally signed for the event at the Nürburgring in the #19 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, but there the stars aligned. The Lamborghini Young Professional Driver left a lasting impression on his second appearance in the DTM when he beat his 27 rivals in Sunday's race in pouring rain to take the first win for Grasser Racing in the top-class racing series.
The success set the course for another outing, as Paul will once again compete for Team Principal Gottfried Grasser's squad at the Lausitzring. For the newly crowned DTM race winner, there couldn't be a more fitting place to climb back into the cockpit of GRT's Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. The circuit located in Brandenburg is less than an hour's drive from his hometown Dresden. For the local hero, the races offer the perfect opportunity to present himself in GRT colours in front of his partners and sponsors for the last time this season in the DTM. For the three remaining weekends, the DTM calendar clashes with the International GT Open, where Paul is set as a driver by Lamborghini Squadra Corse and is on course for the title.
On the other side of the garage, however, Clemens Schmid still has a score to settle. The 32-year-old had made a brilliant start to the season at the season opener in Oschersleben as the best-placed Lamborghini driver, finishing fifth in Sunday's race. After two difficult weekends for the team at the Lausitzring and the Norisring, luck was not on his side in the Eifel either. The layout of the Lausitzring used by the DTM this year should play into the Austrian's cards. After the notorious banked Turn 1 was part of the configuration in the past two years, the 3.478 km long version will be driven again, on which Schmid already steered GRT’s Lamborghini into the Top-5 in the ADAC GT Masters.
In preparation, the two drivers and the GRT crew will have a test day on Thursday to set up the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 to the track and conditions. On Friday, the dress rehearsal for the race weekend will take place as usual in the two practice sessions of 45 minutes each. However, changeable conditions with rain showers are forecast for the test and practice days, while Saturday and Sunday are expected to be hot for qualifying and the race. Sunshine and temperatures of well over 30 degrees Celsius are forecast for both days, which will once more present GRT with a challenge to find the right setup. The races of the DTM from the Lausitzring are broadcast live in over 150 territories worldwide.
Gottfried Grasser, Team Principal of GRT: "The euphoria lasted longer than usual after the victory at the Nürburgring. Winning in the DTM was a special milestone for our team and we are very proud of this success. Nevertheless, it is already history and we are looking ahead, because the next challenges are already waiting for us. There are intense weeks ahead in the DTM and of course we want to take the momentum from the Nürburgring with us. But we have to remain realistic. It's important to get the maximum out of every weekend, to be consistent and not to give away any potential. To be on the grid with Max again at the Lausitzring is a great pleasure for us. We worked together very well from the first moment and the results have of course exceeded all expectations. We will give everything to finish in the points with both cars at the Lausitzring. The biggest question mark for us is certainly the weather. It hasn't been easy for us to get the best performance out of hot temperatures so far this year. We have a few ideas that we will try out in the test on Thursday to make progress here. After that we will know where we stand for the race weekend."
