Abt Sportsline will conclude a two decade-long relationship with Audi to partner with Lamborghini from the 2025 DTM season.
Having already joined forces with the Italian manufacturer for the Nurburgring 24 Hours last year, Abt will extend that partnership to field two examples of the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 in the DTM next tear as part of a long-term contract.
The deal will see Abt join Lamborghini’s roster of factory-supported teams from 2025, but an announcement regarding the driver line-up will be made at a later date.
“We got to know and love each other during the 24-hour project. ABT Sportsline and Lamborghini are two brands that fit together perfectly; we are passionate about motorsport,” said ABT Sportsline CEO Thomas Biermaier.
“This passion can also be felt in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Our motto ‘from the racetrack to the road’ fits Lamborghini just as well.
“The fact that we were able to agree on a long-term cooperation and that Lamborghini will support us at the factory level in the DTM in the future is an important moment for ABT Sportsline.”
Lamborghini already has the biggest presence of any car manufacturer in the DTM, supplying a total of five cars between SSR Performance, Grasser and Paul Motorsport teams.
Its factory driver Mirko Bortolotti, driving for SSR, is in the thick of the title fight with current Abt Audi driver Kelvin van der Linde ahead of this weekend’s penultimate round at the Red Bull Ring.
Meanwhile, Lamborghini sits second in the manufacturers’ championship behind rival German marque Mercedes.
“Motorsport is part of Lamborghini’s DNA,” Lamborghini Chief Technical Officer Rouven Mohr said.
“Success on the racetrack is extremely valuable for us as a sports car manufacturer. The DTM has a special meaning because it has many fans, not only in Germany.
“To be able to work with the most successful team in this racing series in the future makes us very proud. We will support ABT Sportsline to the maximum and we are convinced that it will be a very strong combination.”
Abt’s decision to leave Audi for another manufacturer from the Volkswagen Group has left the fabled Ingolstadt-based marque without a team in the DTM.
Audi had curtailed its long-running GT3 programme at the end of last year, reducing its involvement to a mere supply of spare parts and basic technical support.
This meant the end of factory-backing and financial support, but Abt was able to remain with Audi in the DTM for 2024 after signing a new sponsorship agreement with energy drinks giant Red Bull.
However, with Audi no longer manufacturing the R8 LMS GT3 and disbanding its factory pool of drivers, it was always expected that its existing teams - including Abt - would eventually switch to other brands.
The news about Abt forging new links with Lamborghini marks the end of the team’s long-standing relationship with Audi that stretches back to the revival of the DTM in 2000.
Mattias Ekstrom, who also announced his split from Audi this week, won both of his DTM titles while driving factory cars for Abt.
