Leipert trio Gabriel Rindone/Brendon Leitch/Marco Mapelli finished the Asian Le Mans Series with an impressive 4th overall in the strong field of 24 GT cars.
Leipert Motorsport competed for the first time with a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo in the Asian Le Mans Series penultimate weekend. The MOTUL-supported team from Wegberg started at the Dubai Autodrome with the GT3 Lamborghini #19 and finished 10th and 12th in the GT3 classification out of 24 starters. In the two follow-up races last weekend at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi, the factory-supported team finished a strong third place in both rounds.
Asian Le Mans Series: Four 4h races within nine days
The Asian Le Mans Series features four 4h races, two in Dubai and two in Abu Dhabi. A total of 48 teams had entered, 9 LMP2, 15 LMP3 and 24 GT3 cars. Supported by Lamborghini Squadra Corse, the Leipert drivers Gabriel Rindone (I) and Brendon Leitch (NZ) as well as Lamborghini factory driver Marco Mapelli (I) took part in the event.
Race weekend Dubai Autodrome:
The first race weekend with two 4h races took place at the Dubai Autodrome. In the first race in Dubai, the Lamborghini struggled with a poor BoP classification and was therefore unable to hold its own in the top field. After a race marked by many neutralisations, the #19 reached P10 in the GT classification and thus collected its first point in the championship. For the second race the conditions were much better, as the Lamborghini became competitive for the first time due to a changed BoP. In race 2, however, the #19 had contact with a Porsche in the early stages. The accident as well as a resulting puncture, which led to an early unscheduled stop, set the team back and the #19 finished the race in 12th place.
Race weekend Yas Marina Circuit Abu Dhabi:
In race 1 on Saturday at the Yas Marina Circuit, Rindone drove the start and placed directly at the front of the GT3 field. After just under an hour, the race was interrupted for a good 50 minutes after an accident. Afterwards, the team continued to move forward in the field with a strong performance. Leitch brought the Leipert Lamborghini up to third place. Mapelli was then able to defend this position in his final stint until the finish.
In race 2 on Sunday, Rindone dropped back significantly in the starting scrum with the Lamborghini. However, the subsequent exciting chase to catch up was crowned with success. Rindone initially brought the #19 back into the top 10. Afterwards Mapelli impressed with top times and drove the Leipert Lamborghini up to 4th place. Final driver Leitch again showed a strong and faultless performance and finally crossed the finish line in third place.
Managing Directors Marcel Leipert & Marc Poos:
“We are very happy with our first participation in the Asian Le Mans Series. The cooperation with Lamborghini worked perfectly right from the start – many thanks to Lamborghini Squadra Corse for their support. The Huracán GT3 ran smoothly, as always, and the drivers and team did a great job over the two weeks.
In the first race in Dubai, we were at a disadvantage with the BoP, but this was adjusted immediately afterwards. Last weekend in Abu Dhabi, everything went as desired. We finished both races on the podium. Thus, we were still able to reach fourth position in the championship despite the low points haul from Dubai. We are proud of our team, the drivers and the result!
Now we are looking forward to our involvement in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2. Our full programme for the 2023 season will be announced shortly.”
