Engstler: “Huge Steps Over Winter” Key to ABT Lambo 1-2

Nürburgring 24 pole-sitter Luca Engstler believes that “huge steps” made by the ABT Lamborghini Huracan squad over the winter were key to the team securing a 1-2 on the grid for Saturday’s race.

Engstler set the pace in Top Qualifying 3 in the No. 84 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with a 8:11.123 lap time that defeated teammate Marco Mapelli by 0.345 seconds.

The fastest non-Lamborghini was the Scherer Sport PHX Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II that was 0.861 seconds adrift of Engstler’s pace in third.

Engstler finished fifth with the ABT squad in last year’s race, when sharing a car with Mapelli, but described the No. 84 machine this year as being “the best car I’ve ever driven around here.”

“We made huge steps over the winter,” he told Sportscar365. “Last year was very disappointing seeing with the pace we had we were nowhere near winning a race.

“Everybody kept grinding and kept working on that last 1 percent and it was just a great feeling.”

His fellow Lamborghini factory driver Marco Mapelli, who has been part of the Italian manufacturer’s works roster since 2017, echoed Engstler’s thoughts.

“I think we did a good improvement with the car compared to the past, it’s more drivable, suited better to the three compounds we have from Michelin, so I think we have a good package to work with,” said Mapelli.

“The team, honestly, has never given up. They know what they’re doing.”

Despite the confidence secured by such a strong qualifying result for the team, Engstler was not getting carried away with expectations for the race.

“To be honest on the Nordschleife, you’re never confident,” he cautioned. “Now we’re on pole, big hype.

“Tomorrow after five minutes you can be stuck in the gravel with the wrong tire and nobody cares so the big job is tomorrow and the day after and that’s where the focus has to sit now.”

Engstler also felt that the track conditions improved considerably even during the brief Top Qualifying 3 session, when each driver was able to complete two flying laps.

“The first lap was like soap on the tires — I couldn’t really build the confidence,” Engstler explained. “Arriving another time, everything got a bit better.

“For the last lap I just went all in, decided to go full-send, which I think the track gripped up quite a lot after 25 or 30 minutes.”

While that session was held in the dry, weather forecasts suggest that rain is likely during various points of the race and Mapelli felt this could present a greater challenge to Lamborghini, which is seeking its first N24 overall win.

“I think we have a strong car pace-wise, not only on pure lap time,” he said. “What we’re a little bit concerned about is, if it’s full wet, we’re not as quick as in the dry.

“In the mixed conditions, I think we have a good car so this is maybe a good point for us but fully wet we’re not there.”