After the debacle at the DTM opener, the new Lamborghini was suddenly fast at Zandvoort: What exactly the controversial rear wing modification looks like
Was the criticism of the Lamborghini Temerario GT3 premature? After the disastrous season opener in Spielberg, where the Lamborghini drivers finished at the back of the field, Abt driver Luca Engstler secured an eighth and a sixth-place finish in Zandvoort. “It can’t be such a problem child if we’re on the second row,” Lamborghini factory driver Engstler defended his car on Sunday at ran.de after securing a strong third-place grid position.
But what role did the DTM supplementary homologation play in the upward trend, which allowed the Lamborghini teams for the first time to race with a rear wing configuration not homologated by the FIA? “It’s a combination of factors, but of course the rear wing helps us too,” team boss Gottfried Grasser clarifies.
“The downforce from the rear wing mainly helps with drivability because you can push harder into corners and the car is easier to drive in that area. It also makes it a bit easier to set up the car,” he explains.
What exactly the Lamborghini special regulation entails
What has changed as a result of the additional homologation for the Temerario GT3? Shortly before the DTM weekend in Zandvoort, the DTM GT Committee decided that the Lamborghini teams Grasser and Abt may race with a rear wing setting that generates more downforce—despite opposition from other manufacturers—even though this is not covered by the vehicle’s FIA homologation.
The revised Balance of Performance (BoP) stipulated that the rear wing could be set three degrees steeper. The minimum permitted angle of attack was thus no longer five degrees, but eight degrees.
This would not have been possible at all without modifying the car: With the help of the DTM supplementary homologation, the maximum achievable angle of attack was increased from seven to twelve degrees, which enabled a so-called new “bracket.” This is the connecting piece between the L-bracket, which is fixed to the chassis, and the rear wing blade.
Even at Monza, a steeper rear wing than previously possible
From the outside, the difference is barely noticeable, as only the mount was slightly adjusted and the rear wing is now set at a steeper angle than in the past. Just how urgently the Temerario needed this change was demonstrated during the GT World Challenge Europe weekend at Monza, where the car was also allowed to use the modification thanks to the SRO’s additional homologation.
Even on the high-speed track, the Temerario competed with an angle of attack of eight degrees, which would not have been possible at all with FIA homologation.
Abt tested a special solution even before Zandvoort
The change has a particularly positive effect in fast corners, as it makes the car more aerodynamically stable. It also improves balance, as the Temerario GT3 previously generated far too little downforce on the rear axle, making the car unstable, especially in fast corners.
Since the car now generates several kilograms more downforce on the rear axle, the vehicle’s top speed has also decreased. To compensate for this, the Temerario received up to 0.1 bar more boost pressure in the high-rpm range at Zandvoort, which means that the DTM and SRO are also operating outside the FIA’s homologation window.
Grasser on the change: “You have to work with the car in a completely different way”
For the Grasser team, the change in Zandvoort meant a major adjustment. “We were fumbling around a bit at the start,” explains Grasser. “In terms of philosophy, you now have to work with the car in a completely different way. And you have to experience that, so to speak. The two practice sessions are almost too few for that. So the first part of the weekend was like a test.”
Did it feel like a new car? “Yes and no—that would be an exaggeration,” he replies. “But it has a major impact, and you have to learn step by step.” That’s why they made a big leap from Saturday to Sunday, as evidenced by Mirko Bortolotti’s fourth-place finish on the starting grid.
Does Grasser believe the progress in Zandvoort was also due to the rough asphalt and high temperatures there? “No, I think things will generally improve,” he says. “The high energy from the track and the higher temperatures certainly helped us, but that’s also true for other tracks when it’s warm.”