Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti cut a disconsolate figure in the post-race press conference for the 2026 Nürburgring 24 Hours. Despite just finishing second in one of the biggest races of the year, the Italian clearly felt victory had been snatched from his and his team-mates’ grasp on lap one of the event on Saturday afternoon, such was the pace they subsequently demonstrated in the #84 Red Bull-supported, Abt-run Huracan GT3.
“I think it’s difficult to describe the emotions; I actually don’t want to think about it too much,” he said. Discussing the opening lap, where contact in turn two with Daniel Juncadella’s #3 Winward Mercedes left Bortolotti’s car with a left-rear puncture, he continued: “I had a good start, followed the procedures as you should, but unfortunately the car that started alongside me [fellow Lamborghini factory driver Marco Mapelli in the sister #130 Abt entry] had other plans and jumped the start big time, which put me in a really bad spot in Turn 1.
“That was the start of everything that then happened in Turn 2. So starting a 24-hour race like this, with a two-and-a-half minute handicap, is not ideal, but considering this, we can be super-proud to be here on the podium in P2 for one of the most important races of the year – not just for the result, but especially for the fact that we kept pushing through the race. At one stage we were eight or nine minutes behind the lead. We were pushing, we were fighting for the win, all of us, and we made no mistakes.”
There was, in fact, one mistake: a Code 60 speed violation by pole-winning driver Luca Engstler, but the German explained that this was simply a side-effect of how hard the crew were pushing, and that they had already resolved to avoid a ‘blame culture’ as they tried their hardest to salvage a result.
“We didn’t need any extra motivation after that start,” Engstler recalled. “I think the spirit was right. We agreed we’d go all in, take maximum risk and not have any, let’s say blame culture. The penalty towards the end was completely my fault, but I had massive support from my team-mates, from the team, from the brand.”
The team decided not to take the penalty straight away and instead attempted to pull out a sufficient gap over the third-placed #34 Walkenhorst Aston Martin, such that the addition of the 84 seconds to their final race result would not alter their position in the standings.
For a time it looked like Mattia Drudi, driving on cut slicks in the Aston as rain began to fall in the final half-hour, would be too quick for this tactic to work, but on the very final lap, luck finally went Abt’s way: a Code 60 was initiated on the Dottinger Hohe when a backmarker pulled to a halt after Bortolotti had passed, delaying Drudi enough that the final gap between the second and third once they penalty was applied stood at 16 seconds.
“Mirko did a very good last stint, which basically saved my ass there!” Engstler concluded. “Otherwise, it would have been a bad night. And I think that just showed how we all stuck together and really went flat out from pit exit to pit entry.”
For the third member of the crew, Patric Niederhauser, second place at the N24 for the second time was an even more bitter pill to swallow, having also finished the Spa 24 Hours in that position twice thus far in his career. “One day it would be nice to win something!” he said with a wry smile, “but after where we were two or three hours in, I’m super happy with second place today.” The Swiss ace also set the race’s fastest lap – an 8:08.758 – to further underline the pace potential of the #84.
“We caught what seemed like every Code 60 possible in hours three and four, which opened up a massive gap to the leading pack, and at that moment we actually didn’t expect to come back,” he told DSC after the press conference. “Because normally it only gets worse and worse, but then throughout the night, and especially in the morning, the race calmed down a little bit. There were a bit less incidents, and this opened up the chance for us to actually improve a bit our positions to close the gap to the front a little bit, especially to the podium places. So at some point we knew there’s actually still something possible.”
The result was also poignant for Abt team manager (and former driver) Martin Tomczyk – he revealed afterwards that this event will be his last with the team. It’s also likely to be the last time the venerable Huracan vies for the win in one of the big enduros, with the Temerario now being deployed in both IMSA and GT World Challenge Europe.
Image courtesy of Frozenspeed & GruppeC Photography
