Lamborghini explains Mirko Bortolotti’s move from Abt to Grasser in DTM

Mirko Bortolotti is returning to Grasser after just one year at Abt. The 2024 DTM champion had been delegated by Lamborghini to the Kempten-based squad last year after Abt left Audi to campaign the Huracan GT3, but the season turned into a disaster. Bortolotti — considered the fastest driver in Lamborghini’s line-up — finished no higher than sixth and ended up 14th in the overall standings, while Abt endured the worst DTM season in its history.

Now, Bortolotti returns to the Grasser team, which was clearly Lamborghini’s number one outfit in the DTM last year and fought for the title with Jordan Pepper until the final round. The Italian brand has now explained why the the 36-year-old Italian is returning to the team run by his long-time associate Gottfried Grasser.

“The decision to allocate Lamborghini factory driver Mirko Bortolotti to Grasser Racing derives from a shared commitment with the driver to work with the same team in both the GT World Challenge and the DTM championships,” a Lamborghini spokesperson told Motorsport.com’s sister title Motorsport-Total.com.

Lamborghini cites “continuity” at Grasser

“This strategic alignment ensures continuity, and the strongest possible collaboration across both racing programmes,” the manufacturer from Sant’Agata Bolognese added.

In fact, Bortolotti will compete not only in the DTM with Grasser but also in the endurance leg of the GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE). He will share the car with his new DTM team-mate Maximilian Paul and fellow factory driver Franck Perera.

Interestingly, Bortolotti also contested the five GTWCE endurance races with Grasser last year, while driving for Abt in the DTM. At the time, however, Grasser was not only active in the Endurance Cup — where Bortolotti served as the third driver — but also in the sprint series. His Grasser team-mates from the DTM, Pepper and Luca Engstler, competed in both GTWCE championships for the team.

Bortolotti an incentive to keep Grasser with Lamborghini?

There may be more behind Bortolotti’s return than just sporting considerations. After the 2025 DTM season finale, speculation emerged that Grasser could leave Lamborghini. Team boss Gottfried Grasser did not explicitly deny the rumours when asked by Motorsport-Total.com, and said only the following regarding the team’s potential DTM programme in 2026: “It definitely has to be a package of drivers and car that makes sense and allows us to celebrate success.”

With Pepper’s move to BMW, the team lost its breakout star of the season, while Bortolotti was still racing for Abt at the time. This raised the possibility of a link between the rumours about a potential manufacturer switch and Bortolotti’s return to the team.

There was also speculation that Lamborghini might have tried to keep the Austrian team on board for 2026 by promising Bortolotti for the DTM project.

“There is no connection between this decision and the rumors suggesting that Grasser Racing may change manufacturer for the 2026 season,” a Lamborghini spokesperson said.

New contract on a “multi-year basis”

“The agreement with the team was originally set to expire at the end of 2025 and has now been renewed on a multi-year basis, reflecting the team’s strong belief in the Temerario GT3 project and the long-term partnership with Lamborghini,” the spokesperson added, providing an interesting additional detail.

Accordingly, Grasser’s contract with Lamborghini has not only been extended by a single year but by several years, effectively ruling out a manufacturer switch even after the first season with the new Temerario GT3.

Grasser was not available for comment on the matter, but the return of Bortolotti — who has been involved in 19 of the team’s 27 victories — certainly did not hurt when it came to extending the contract with Lamborghini.

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– The Motorsport.com Team

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