Red Bull not only gives ABT Sportsline wings in the DTM. The Bavarian team will also receive full support from the world’s market leader in energy drinks at this year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours. Kelvin van der Linde (27, South Africa), Marco Mapelli (36, Italy) and Jordan Pepper (27, South Africa) will compete for Red Bull Team ABT from 30 May to 2 June in an ABT Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2.
“Last year, our black Lamborghini was an instant fan favourite at the 24-hour race,” says Hans-Jürgen Abt, CEO of the ABT Group. “But in blue and with Red Bull branding, our car looks even more spectacular in my eyes. We are proud to have Red Bull as a partner for our entire GT3 programme. The 24-hour race is the biggest sporting event in Germany and it’s great that we can also compete there in the Red Bull colours. Our goal is clear: after last year’s strong performance with our inaugural entry, we want to fight for overall victory this year.”
With DTM star Kelvin van der Linde and the two Lamborghini factory drivers Marco Mapelli and Jordan Pepper, ABT Sportsline is relying on three strong drivers, who already raced for the team on the Nordschleife last year. “The three drivers were fast and reliable and worked together perfectly,” says ABT Motorsport Director Martin Tomczyk. “Nicki Thiim was no longer available to us this year. As we didn’t want to bring any unknown factors into the well-established team, it quickly became clear that we would be competing with three instead of four drivers in 2024.”
The ABT Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2, which was immediately one of the fastest cars on its Nordschleife debut last year, is also a known quantity. “We know the strengths of the Huracán very well,” says Martin Tomczyk. “Without the punctures, we definitely had the potential to be at the front last year. Michelin has worked hard on the problem. I am convinced that in this form the failures will not happen again.”
Next Friday, Red Bull Team ABT will test the Lamborghini with the new Red Bull livery on the Nordschleife for the first time. The first two rounds of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) are then scheduled for the 6th and 7th of April, before the 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers take place one week later.
ABT Sport Marketing Director Harry Unflath is proud that other renowned companies such as suspension specialist H&R, technology company Schaeffler, expert electronics stores, Sony PlayStation PS5, high-performance film specialist SÜDPACK and vehicle coding platform OBDAPP will be prominently represented with their brands on the ABT Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 at the 24-hour race. The team is also supported by Lamborghini Singen, MAN, Metzner, Ravenol, Riedel, Sabelt, s.Oliver, Tanners and TM Performance.
Lamborghini has also become an important partner for ABT Sportsline in the area of vehicle customisation. The first Lamborghini-based product is the ABT Urus Scatenato, a special model limited to 99 units.