Romain Grosjean exceptional with over 400 overtakes! Any regrets for Lamborghini's last IMSA race?

The last outing for the Lamborghini SC63 before the "GTP" program was put on hold was undoubtedly the most convincing. Final bouquet or rendezvous with the future? This Saturday, the Lamborghini SC63 achieved its best ever competitive result at Petit Le Mans, the final round of the North American championship. IMSA.

The Grosjean-Kvyat-Mortara trio finished fourth in the ten-hour race at Road Atlanta (USA). The program's best result so far was a 7^e place.

The Lamborghini even seemed in a position to fight for victory in the final two hours of the race. A very encouraging performance, coming at a time when the Lamborghini GTP program put on holdfor lack of a solid financial and sporting partner.

" A bittersweet conclusion to the seasonsaid Edoardo Mortara after the checkerboard, we had the performance this weekend and, as in Indianapolis, we were able to demonstrate the car's potential. ".

All the better...

The Lamborghini's performance no doubt owes something to the BOP (Balance of Performance). Alongside the Aston Martin Valkyrie, the Italian was the beneficiary of the most favorable correction this weekend, with 1,030 kg on the scales (even if the SC63 is often considered a little heavier) and 520 kW of power, or 707 hp.

But above all, it confirms the progress made thanks to the technical upgrade carried out this summer. On the Road Atlanta track, the SC63 was right up there with the best, thanks in particular to the adoption of new rear suspension, which makes the best use of the Michelin tyres and enables easier passage over the vibrators.

Grosjean exceptional

Romain Grosjean was the main architect of the result. Firstly, by spending 5 hours and 56 minutes at the wheel of the Lamborghini, out of a total of ten hours of racing! None of the drivers entered on Saturday drove more than him. " I drove the car, giving absolutely everything I had. "he commented on Saturday evening.

What about his team-mates? Edoardo Mortara spent 3 hours on board the GTP, while Daniil Kvyat completed just one stint. And on this small circuit, where traffic is a decisive factor, the Frenchman made over 400 passes without making a mistake.

Further evidence of the excellent form of Romain Grosjean and his car can be found in the lap times compiled in the highly respected report by British company The B Pillar. The Frenchman was third fastest of all the drivers entered. On his 50 fastest % laps, he averaged 1:13.626, just two tenths off the best mark set by Frederik Vesti in the winning Cadillac.

The only hiccup was a penalty at the start of the race, which began in seventh position. The stewards judged that the Frenchman had blocked the Oreca LMP2 of the InterEuropol team. Fortunately for the former Haas F1 driver, this was of no consequence, as were a few bugs that cost him a few seconds in refuelling. He managed to stay on the lead lap and catch up with the pack thanks to a neutralization.

A misplaced break... on the tire side

It's been official since this summer: Lamborghini will "pause" its SC63 program for the 2026 campaign, pending a possible return the following year. The timing is problematic. In just a few months, Michelin will be launching its new range of tires for IMSA and the World Endurance Championship (WEC). New features include the use of 50 % of durable materials, easier warm-up and the appearance of a honeycomb pattern on new rubber compounds. Over the course of the 2026 season, the manufacturers involved will be building up an extensive database on this decisive factor in on-track performance. In the event of a comeback in 2027, the Bull will have to get back on track... 

Decisive final minutes

The Riley team, responsible for running the SC63 this season after the divorce with Iron Lynx, had also slightly shifted the green car's strategy as night fell on the Georgian track. Romain Grosjean even tried to extend his final stint to the extreme, ending up in second place just one second behind the leading Cadillac with ten minutes to go.

But the energy quota had reached its limit, and the Lamborghini made a seven-second pit stop in sight of the chequered flag, leaving the N°23 Aston Martin and the N°6 Porsche behind. We were hoping for a neutralization in the final minutes," explained Romain Grosjean at the finish, "and the chances were high. But it didn't happen. This encouraging 4^e place hints at the Lamborghini's potential. Let's hope it gets another chance to prove it.

Petit Le Mans 2025 rankings :

• 1 - Cadillac n°31 (Aitken / Bamber / Vesti) - 436 laps
• 2 - Aston Martin n°23 (de Angelis / Gunn / Riberas) + 5.2 s.
• 3 - Porsche n°6 (Campbell / Jaminet / Vanthoor) + 12.7 s.
• 4 - Lamborghini n°63 (Grosjean / Kvyat / Mortara) + 34.4 s.
• 5 - Acura n°60 (Blomqvist / Braun / Dixon) + 41.1 s.

IMSA Champions 2025 :

• Drivers : Matt Campbell (AUS) and Mathieu Jaminet (FRA)
• Teams : Porsche n°6 (Campbell/Jaminet)
• Manufacturer: Porsche