Lamborghini promotes Maximilian Paul to new factory driver: who else is being promoted and what hint is the Dresden native giving about a Grasser comeback?
Important milestone in Maximilian Paul’s career: The 25-year-old from Dresden, who scored a sensational DTM victory in his first race weekend as a regular driver with the Grasser team in 2023 and competed in 2024 and 2025 with his own Lamborghini team Paul Motorsport, will be promoted to Lamborghini factory driver in 2026.
The Italians, who lost Jordan Pepper to BMW at the end of 2025, announced this in a press release. Paul is delighted with this career move: “I am incredibly grateful to now be part of Lamborghini’s factory driver squad after so many years of hard work.” Paul joined the Lamborghini squad as a junior in 2022 and was promoted to young professional in 2023.
He speaks of “a special journey—and that makes this moment even more meaningful. It’s truly an honor to now begin this new chapter as a factory driver and to compete in the upcoming season with the new Temerario GT3,” Paul announced.
Hint at Grasser comeback as Bortolotti’s teammate?
An interesting statement, with which the talented man hints that he will not be competing in the DTM in 2026 with his own team, but will instead make a comeback with the Grasser racing team – as teammate to Lamborghini figurehead Mirko Bortolotti.
Lamborghini also announced in its press release that Paul will drive the new Temerario GT3 “in national and international championships” in 2026 alongside Mattia Michelotto, who will also become a factory driver.
In 2025, Paul, who is known for working on his own cars and sometimes even acting as a driving engineer, had a mixed year in the DTM, but the highlight was his third place thanks to the right strategy in the weather poker game at Zandvoort. It was the first podium finish for the Paul team in the DTM.
He also secured a podium finish in the Pro-Am class at the 24-hour classic at the Nürburgring last year.
Italian Michelotto also promoted to works driver
Who is Mattia Michelotto? The 23-year-old Italian also comes from Lamborghini’s junior program and won the 2021 Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final in Misano. In 2023, he was runner-up in the European Super Trofeo one-make series and in the Sprint Cup of the Italian GT Championship, before winning the Pro-Am classification of the Sprint Cup last year.
“We are very pleased to welcome Maxi and Mattia to our factory team for the 2026 season and beyond,” said Lamborghini’s Chief Technical Officer Rouven Mohr, who has been heading the motorsport division on an interim basis since Maurizio Leschiutta’s departure.
“Both drivers have proven their talent behind the wheel of a Lamborghini in recent years and fully deserve to represent Lamborghini Squadra Corse at the highest level in GT racing. We are excited to see what they can achieve over the course of the year.”
