Indianapolis Motor Speedway can be a cruel mistress, and for the Lamborghini SC63 team, the penultimate round of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship was a harsh lesson in motorsport’s unforgiving nature. What looked to be a stellar top-five finish for the #63 LMDh—driven by the formidable pairing of Edoardo Mortara and Romain Grosjean—slipped through their fingers in the final hour, leaving them with a 10th-place finish that didn’t reflect their impressive performance.
The weekend started with high hopes and a key upgrade. The SC63 arrived with a new rear suspension, and the “Evo joker” immediately paid dividends. In practice, the car showed strong pace, with the team focusing on race-length fuel runs. Grosjean’s best qualifying lap of 1m15.170s was quick enough for ninth, which became an eighth-place grid spot after a competitor’s penalty. The team was within four-tenths of a second of the top time, a clear sign of their progress.
A Day of Promise
From the drop of the green flag, the #63 was on the move. Grosjean wasted no time, jumping two positions by the first corner and settling into seventh. Despite a flurry of full-course yellows in the first half of the race, the Lamborghini crew’s strategy was on point, and they climbed into the top five after the first round of pit stops. For much of the six-hour enduro, the SC63 was a consistent presence in the lead pack, matching the pace of the front-runners and showcasing its true potential.
Mortara took over for a strong middle stint, expertly managing fuel and holding his ground against the GTP field. “I had two really long stints where I was saving a lot of fuel, which was a nice surprise, matching the pace of the others,” he noted. “It was a pleasure to fight at the front and showcase our potential.”
The Cruel Twist of Fate
As the race entered its final hour, strategy became the defining factor. In a battle with a lapped Porsche, Grosjean made slight contact, sending the #63 momentarily onto the grass. The team seized the opportunity, calling Grosjean in for a short, energy-only pit stop—a high-stakes gamble to gain track position for the final sprint.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. A full-course yellow flew soon after, neutralizing the race and trapping the #63 on the wrong side of the cycle. The short stop, meant to be a strategic masterstroke, became a costly mistake, and the car dropped to 10th, where it would ultimately finish.
Looking Ahead to Petit Le Mans
While the final result was disappointing, both drivers found plenty of positives to take away. “I think we’ve worked well as a team; this was the first time that we’ve really been in the mix, in the top five all day, so I think we can take this as a positive,” Grosjean said.
For Mortara, who finally got to complete his first IMSA race of the season, the potential was clear. “Without this I think there was the potential to finish in the top five,” he reflected.
The team now shifts its focus to the season finale at Road Atlanta, the 10-hour Petit Le Mans, which will also be the final outing for the Lamborghini SC63 before it takes a sabbatical. After a performance like the one at Indy, the team will undoubtedly be gunning for a high note to end their campaign.