Bortolotti, Kvyat and Mortara search for strong result in penultimate round of the year

Sant’Agata Bolognese/Oyama, 11 September 2024 – Lamborghini Iron Lynx heads into the final stretch of its maiden campaign in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) this weekend for round seven of the season at the Fuji International Speedway in Japan.

Having shown signs of improvement in the USA two weeks ago, the #63 combination of Mirko Bortolotti, Daniil Kvyat and Edoardo Mortara remains unchanged and will be aiming to maximise the potential aboard the Lamborghini SC63 in the Hypercar class.

Ahead of the car’s first outing in Japan, the team can take positives from the most recent WEC round at the Ciruit of the Americas in Texas two weeks ago. The SC63 fought hard throughout the Lone Star Le Mans thanks to a superb start from Mortara and ran on the cusp of the top 10 for a large portion of the six-hour race. However, long-run pace versus its rivals and tyre warming issues hurt overall performance while two drivethrough penalties limited the #63 to 14th at the finish.

Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting team up again in the #85 Iron Dames Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 in the LMGT3 class with added motivation after another frustrating Lone Star Le Mans a fortnight ago. Similarly, the #60 Iron Lynx crew of Matteo Cressoni, Franck Perera and Claudio Schiavoni will be hoping to further bridge the gap to its closest competitors in Fuji.

The Lone Star Le Mans failed to deliver the breakthrough podium result the Iron Dames deserved, with suspension damage from contact between Frey and the second-placed Corvette costing the #85 car multiple laps. A 13th place finish was scant reward for the magenta Lamborghini which again showcased its prowess with Bovy in qualifying, setting the second-quickest time in the Hyperpole session. The #60 also endured an up-and-down race, running as high as third in the LMGT3 class, but a drivethrough penalty for track limits abuse meant they too finished outside of the points-paying positions.

Track Description

Based in the foothills of the picturesque Mount Fuji, the 16-turn 4.563km (2.835 miles) circuit has been a stable of the FIA World Endurance Championship since 2012 but the 6 Hours of Fuji – previously known as the Fuji 1000km dates all the way back to the late 1960s. It also boasts one of the longest straights in world motorsport, with the pit straight measuring at 1.475km in length. The circuit also lends itself well to endurance racing, with a mixture of slow-speed technical turns and medium-speed sweeping corners. The most likely overtaking opportunity is the turn one hairpin, but equally the hairpins at turn six and turn 10 can provide similar chances. Top speed and aero balance generally equate to a good lap-time but, as ever, reliability and staying out of trouble will be the key to a good result.

The weekend at a glance

Friday 13th September

Free Practice 1 (11:00-12:30)
Free Practice 2 (15:30-17:00)

Saturday 14th September

Free Practice 3 (10:20-11:20)
Qualifying – LMGT3 (14:20-14:32)
Hyperpole – LMGT3 (14:40-14:50)
Qualifying – Hypercar (15:00-15:12)
Hyperpole – Hypercar (15:20-15:30)

Sunday 15th September

Race (11:00-17:00)

All times Japan Standard Time (CET+7)