Twenty twenty-three – the background
The launch year of the Evo2 coincided with my first year as a factory driver with Lamborghini Squadra Corse (LSC), and what a year it was. The new car showed great promise, and the teams and drivers were excited, but 2023 was a challenging year, and ultimately, we were unable to convert our speed into results in the moments when it mattered most.
Despite this, I was extremely happy with how I drove throughout the season and felt I was moving from strength to strength as the year progressed. It was during the 2023 season that I was also able to build strong relationships with the teams and other factory drivers within this brand – something I find incredibly important in the world of endurance racing.
Twenty twenty-four
A new year. A new season. A new chance.
The start of twenty twenty-four
A brief winter break and reset is exactly what is needed, and I came into the 2024 season with lots of hunger and determination. Kick-starting the year with Daytona is always a tough challenge, we go straight into a fast-paced, gruelling 24h race – a test for both man and machine. In terms of this race, 2023 and 2024 cannot be compared. We went from struggling in 2023 to having great speed, good strategy calls and a prime up-front running position in 2024. Unfortunately, though, in racing, not all factors are in our control and a piece of debris through our radiator in the early hours of Sunday morning stole the result we were hoping for. A tough blow of course, but exciting to see that our car was extremely competitive – adding to the motivation and determination for the following races.
February
February is a weird month in the world of endurance racing. If you don’t take the trip down under for Bathurst 12h, you are left with quite a bit of free time. Thus, cobwebs were cleaned off the go-kart that I share with the VDL bros and many laps around the track were turned, prepping for the season. The end of the month saw a quick trip to Zanzibar for a close friend’s wedding, the last little bit of relaxation before the busy months ahead.
Originally it appeared that I had a quiet racing program this year due to many championship date clashes, but as it turns out, and as you will find out as you read along, I am experiencing one of my busiest years yet in motorsport. A busy season can mean a challenging season, or it can mean a season full of opportunities – depends on how you want to look at it. I chose the latter, and as I said previously, I was so hungry and so determined to succeed.
March
March kickstarted with a bang and it saw Kelvin, Marco and I at the ABT Sportsline workshop for a day of meetings and seat fittings – in preparation for the Nürburgring 24-hour race, of course. A very short, very intense program with testing, prep races and the 24-hour race in the space of just a few months, motivates us to maximise every opportunity we get to spend together as a team. Part of this preparation program was a very exciting trip to Gurgl, where we had the privilege to attend the launch of the new ABT x Red Bull partnership, with Red Bull coming on board as our main title sponsor for the 24-hour race.
A last-minute call-up to compete in the International GT Open Championship was added to the mix of March. This resulted in a quick flight to Barcelona for a day of testing before heading to Florida for the second round of IMSA, the Sebring 12h. It was a relatively smooth weekend leading up to the race, and despite not having a 1-lap speed, we had an extremely strong race car over the stint, which is very important in Sebring.
From early in the race, we managed to position ourselves to fight for the win, constantly battling it out in the top three. As the final hours approached, we found ourselves in P2. However, the nightfall saw multiple interesting restarts – typical Sebring action. In the end we crossed the line P3, securing the first IMSA GTD Pro podium in the Evo2 for both Iron Lynx and LSC. It was a successful weekend, a good rebound and a kickstart to the season after the Daytona 24h.
April
The start of April was a doubleheader race weekend back at the Nürburgring, and Kelvin and I shared the car over the first weekend because Marco had a clash with another championship. The primary focus of these prep races is to run through different test points, which can mean not having the perfect package for the race. However, we found ourselves having a dream car to drive on Sunday, leading most of the race, unfortunately losing out in the end by 0,042s, leaving us in P2. It was a hard pill to swallow, however; still an incredible day sharing the podium with Kelvin, securing the team’s first NLS podium and claiming the first podium for the Evo2 at the Nordschleife. The week after, we used as testing, and although we didn’t manage to secure a podium, we still showed strong pace and felt confident in our final prep race before the 24-hour race in May.
May and June
One week off back home before kickstarting an extremely busy May and June. Two GT Open race weekends, Portimao and Hockenheim, started this busy period. The Portimao race weekend did not go according to plan, but we bounced back in Hockenheim, securing our first win of the season. This made 3 podiums with all 3 of the teams I drove for in 2024 (so far).
Shortly before the Hockenheim GT Open race weekend, I found out that I would be a reserve driver at Le Mans for the hypercar programme. This was a massive opportunity for me and a box ticked in my list of long-term goals I set for myself. However, with this came more planning, last-minute mandatory sim sessions and a first taste of driving the SC63 at a Shakedown in Magny-Cours shortly before Le Mans.
All while this was happening, I found out I would be replacing another factory driver aboard the 163 GRT Lamborghini in GTWC for Spa 24hrs, a last-minute call for which I am incredibly grateful. Originally, a championship and a race I had not planned to partake in, due to clashes, meant I was going to miss out on competing in the race that I love so much.
Following a crazy few days in France, consisting of completing the mandatory ACO simulator and a trip to Magny-Cours for a seat fit and Lmdh shakedown, I made the overnight drive to Spa (arriving at 4 a.m.) to make the final testing day of the Spa 24h test. There was no time for a break as that same weekend was the GT Open race in Spa, where we managed to secure a P2 finish in the first of the two endurance rounds this year, moving firmly into the championship fight. I managed to celebrate this and spend two days off with my parents who made the trip out to watch the race before we all headed to the Nürburgring 24h.
Weeks such as these in motorsports, back-to-back racing and testing between multiple different series, cars, tyres, etc., can be extremely tiring, taxing on the body and not usually what the weekends leading up to a 24h race look like. However, my body was fuelled by adrenaline and I was on Cloud 9 due to the exciting race coming up, the recent announcements and additions to my calendar and a great GT open result – I went into the Nürburgring weekend feeling extremely motivated and ready. To add to this and to make it even more special, I had my parents and my girlfriend at the event, this kind of support motivates you even more.
Unfortunately, the weekend didn’t produce the result we wanted or deserved. After perfect preparation and a great effort in qualifying, the weather took a turn for the worse on race day, and, in typical NBR fashion, we experienced every weather condition – sun, rain, and fog. Tyre choices resulted in us dropping from the lead to P5, and just as this happened, the race was red-flagged due to the bad weather conditions. No restart meant we crossed the line in P5. While this is not exactly what we were fighting for it is still a great result and Lamborghini’s first ever top 5 finish at Nürburgring 24. This left me, and the team, hungrier for that victory in 2025 and I know that we will bounce back stronger.
I flew home to London for a quick change of clothes and two days of touring around with my parents before I headed to Le Mans for 10 days. It was a very intense week, trying to learn and soak in the atmosphere as much as possible. Of course, I cannot forget to mention the opportunity to drive some laps around Circuit de la Sarthe for the very first time in a Hypercar, which was a dream come true and one I’ll remember forever. These 10 days provided great insight and motivation for something I hope to be a part of more permanently in the future.
The roadshow continued to Watkins Glen for the third IMSA endurance round of the season, and unfortunately, this weekend was not what we were hoping for. We struggled for pace over the weekend and needed more top speed than we had, as this track is one of the fastest on the calendar. This meant our chance of the result we were hoping for was based on a risky strategy. Unfortunately, our race ended early, and Watkins Glen proved once again unkind.
Next, we went straight from America to Belgium for the centenary addition 24hrs of Spa, the third 24h race in 5 weeks. Following a strong test, the weekend started off well and we worked through our programme, finetuning the car for the race. Throughout the weekend we showed great pace, leaving us feeling confident for both qualifying and the race. Qualifying was picture-perfect. Marco, Franck, and I all did incredibly well in qualifying, and I managed to top Q4. The average of all our qualifying sessions secured us in P1 overall. Franck went on to have a great lap in superpole, setting us up perfectly for the race – P1. Lamborghini’s first ever pole at Spa 24h.
It is an incredible feeling to start the race on pole, but we ultimately wanted the win. The race started out perfectly; however, it quickly turned nightmarish when we ran into unexpected fuelling issues during our first two pitstops, leaving us on the verge of a lap down and far back in the field. Sticking to the trend of the previous 24h races, and in typical Spa fashion, the weather was unpredictable and constantly changing, leaving us to face extreme challenges and choices all race long whilst simultaneously trying to recover the time we lost. Whether it was fuelling issues or being a lap down, no matter what the challenge we fought hard and worked our way up the field, getting ourselves back into the fight and even into the lead. However, incorrectly timed pitstops late in the race meant that we, once again, ended P5. Regardless, an incredible achievement and Lamborghini’s best-ever finish at Spa 24h. Despite feeling immensely proud of this, we felt deflated as we all wanted more, the team deserved more.
July
A few weeks at home to reset and recover before heading to a hot Paul Ricard in the South of France for the next round of GT Open. While it is unfortunate that I am no longer able to fight for the championship due to a clash with IMSA, Alessio, my teammate, is well and truly in the fight. The goal from here is simple and clear: make sure he wins that title.
After leading race 1, we looked set for another great result; however, a series of late-race contact for Alessio meant we ended up P5. Sunday’s race, race 2, appeared to be tough with rain interfering with our qualifying, leaving us starting way down on the grid. Regardless of this, we still fought, and a huge fight on a rain-soaked circuit meant I was able to charge from P23 to P3, crossing the line 3rd, securing our 3rd podium of the season, and cementing Alessio in the championship fight – he sits P2 with 3 rounds to go.
Paul Ricard one weekend, Nürburgring the next. Following Spa 24h, we had a point to prove at the 3rd round of the GTWC Endurance Cup. A great qualifying securing P3 enabled us to capitalise and try our best to claim Lamborghini’s first win in the series since 2021, and my first since 2019. After last year’s misfortune and getting taken out at T1, I knew I had to right some wrongs. The opening few corners were incredible and after missing the first corner mayhem, I was able to get into the lead from that point on. The team did an incredible job and the three of us charged ahead through all three stints, picking up the win. P1. A perfect result and the perfect way to head into the summer break. The cherry on top? We managed to position ourselves right in the championship fight – P3. We are just one point off P2 with 2 more events left of the season.
Summer break
Summer break marked the end of a crazy few months of non-stop action, and looking back I am extremely grateful and extremely satisfied with how this year has played out. Considering I was not meant to have such a big race programme, things have turned around in such a positive manner. Not all the races have gone how we would have hoped, but regardless I am both very satisfied and very grateful for the year so far and for the incredible teams that I drive for.
As the summer break comes to an end, I am recharged and even more motivated to tackle the 2nd half of the year. Full steam ahead.