Mapelli to Make Series Debut in ABT Temerario GT3

Lamborghini factory driver Marco Mapelli will make his DTM debut with ABT Sportsline this year as he partners Luca Engstler in a fresh lineup at the wheel of the team’s pair of new Temerario GT3s.

Mapelli is a stalwart of the Italian manufacturer’s racing programs winning multiple titles including the 2019 GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS crown, but has never previously raced in the German series.

He has made sporadic appearances with ABT in the past, however, including contesting the Nürburgring 24 with the squad.

Mapelli said he was relishing the chance to work with “such a top team throughout the entire season” and added: “You can clearly see the commitment and dedication of every single person, and that’s a huge motivation for me to push even further.

“The team’s history speaks for itself. ABT is always racing for wins, so it’s clear what our target is.”

Fellow Lamborghini factory driver Engstler, meanwhile, has been a regular fixture in the DTM in recent years, spending the past two seasons with Grasser Racing Team and taking two victories in 2024 in a Huracan GT3 EVO2.

However, he failed to take a podium last year and finished 12th in the standings.

“It’s a team I’ve known since I was a kid,” he said of ABT. “I used to pass their workshop every day on my way to school.

“Now racing for ABT in the DTM is a big honour. Of course, a lot is new for all of us, so the first year will be a learning phase. But we have the ambition to be successful and to improve consistently throughout the season.”

Team CEO Thomas Biermaier said being able to tap into Mapelli’s experience developing the new Temerario GT3 would be a particular benefit.

“Together, we have a clear goal: to be successful again,” he said. “With Luca and Marco, we believe we are on a very good path to achieve that.”

ABT fielded Mirko Bortolotti and Nicki Thiim in the DTM last year but the pair only mustered one podium between them.