– Big problems at Lamborghini before the DTM season opener in Spielberg (all info on TV times, stream etc.): The new Temerario GT3, which replaces the successful Huracan GT3 Evo2 in 2026, is not getting up to speed. Time will tell what is possible with the car, “but if I look at the first few months – including the race a few days ago in France – I don’t think we’ll be competing at the front,” warns factory driver Mirko Bortolotti.
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“I believe it will be difficult – especially at the beginning of the season,” specifies the 2024 DTM champion, who returned to Grasser this year after a tough season with Abt, summarizing his assessment.
In DTM, testing opportunities are severely limited. “That’s why we really have to use every lap and make sure we learn as much as possible and develop the car as quickly as possible, because there’s still a lot of work ahead of us,” says the 36-year-old Italian.
Problems with braking and turn-in
The new Temerario GT3, which was presented late in the summer of 2025 and was the first race car from Sant’Agata Bolognese developed exclusively under the direction of Lamborghini – and not in cooperation with Audi like the Huracan – made its race debut only in March at the 12 Hours of Sebring.
“The car is brand new and feels completely different,” Bortolotti compares the Temerario, which has a V8 biturbo engine, with the Huracan and its V10 naturally aspirated engine. “There is absolutely nothing that reminds me of the Huracan. Therefore, it is a big change for the team and for us drivers as well.”
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Bortolotti’s Grasser team only received the new vehicle at the end of the first week of March 2026; the Abt squad had to wait even longer. And apparently, the car was delivered without a mature basic setup. There are reports of difficulties with braking, and the Temerario also doesn’t turn in as desired.
The teams are still struggling with the vehicle – and there are even doubts whether it is currently possible at all to bring the Temerario to the level of the competition via the Balance of Performance (SPONSORED LINK: Secure your tickets for the DTM 2026 season now!).
“The most positive aspect is reliability”
Only the reliability seems to be right: In both Sebring and the GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE) opener in Le Castellet, the car finished after twelve and six hours respectively. “The most positive aspect is reliability,” confirms team boss Gottfried Grasser. “The car has no problems. This means you can at least drive a lot and test a lot.”
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This was also shown by the official DTM test day in Spielberg, where the four Temerario drivers completed a total of 497 laps. However, the gap was large: Abt’s DTM rookie Luca Engstler, as the best Lamborghini driver, was 0.990 seconds behind fastest driver Ben Dörr in the McLaren.
“At least we’ve caught up with the stragglers, but there’s still a lot to do and learn,” says Grasser. He doesn’t deny that there are still problems with turn-in and braking. “That all has to do with the setup and the chassis,” he says. In this regard, they are still looking for the right path.
Grasser’s tires “not in the working window” at race debut
That was also the reason why they played a mere supporting role at the GTWCE opener in Le Castellet. “It was more difficult than we expected,” Grasser looks back. “We found a solid balance with the setup, but still couldn’t get the tires into the working window. This resulted in a considerable deficit that could not be compensated for technically.”
During the test in Spielberg, Grasser recognized “very positive steps” with Bortolotti despite a time deficit of over a second. However, this could also be due to the fact that the new exclusive DTM tire gets up to temperature somewhat faster than Pirelli’s DHG tire, which is used in the GTWCE.
The pressure is now enormous before the DTM season opener, because in the approximately one-hour sprint races, reliability plays a subordinate role in the fight for victory. “In DTM, it’s all about performance, and if you don’t have the performance, you won’t be successful,” Bortolotti knows.
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“That’s why I believe we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I’m also happy to take on this challenge – together with the team, with the brand, just as it was twelve years ago with the Huracan,” the Italian looks back. “It’s a process we have to go through now, and I hope we get up to pace as quickly as possible.”
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