Christian Engelhart returns to Lamborghini Factory Driver roster

Lamborghini Squadra Corse has announced that Christian Engelhart will return to the official roster of Factory Drivers from the 2024 season, following a five-year absence.

The experienced German driver joins the recently announced Loris Spinelli as the latest addition to the expanded GT3 Factory Driver list, with his exact 2024 programme announced in due course.

Engelhart, who turns 37 next week, first joined the Lamborghini Squadra Corse ranks at the start of the 2017, following a highly successful one-make career in Porsches, finishing runner-up in the drivers’ standings three times in four years.

His first season with the Sant’Agata Bolognese firm proved even more successful, taking a total of four race victories across the GTWC Endurance Cup and Sprint Cup campaigns with GRT, winning the former and ending up fourth in the latter come season-end.

Despite leaving the Factory Driver programme at the end of 2018, Engelhart remained with GRT for the following season, taking a number of race wins and finishing second in the ADAC GT Masters championship alongside current LMDh factory driver Bortolotti. A maiden GT Masters title with a different brand came in the COVID-affected 2020 season, with Engelhart recording at least one victory in each season since. During his time with Lamborghini, Engelhart competed in 110 races, winning 14 including the prestigious 24 Hours at Daytona in 2019.

Prior to the formal return of Engelhart to Lamborghini, the German did take part in a one-off DTM weekend with GRT earlier in 2023. Having won on the opening weekend of the year at Oschersleben in a Porsche, Engelhart wound back the years at the final round at Hockenheim, finishing third and the highest-placed Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 in race one.

Christian Engelhart, on his return to Lamborghini Squadra Corse, said: “To join Lamborghini feels like coming home and is a very emotional moment in my career. I have never stopped loving this iconic brand and consider myself honoured to represent and privileged to drive for Lamborghini Squadra Corse. Together, we already share a history of success, and I will give my utmost to build on this in the highest-level GT championships. There are many exciting prospects for the future, and I am more than ready to take on the next step of our journey together.”

Giorgio Sanna, Head of Motorsport, commented: “We are happy to welcome back Christian in our family, we are sure that he will bring additional experience and performance to our GT3 customer teams, collaborating with Squadra Corse on the next future race cars development”.