Why the Lamborghini SC63 received an update on its penultimate outing

(Motorsport-Total.com) - Some were quite surprised: The Lamborghini SC63 arrived at the IMSA race in Indianapolis last weekend with a completely new suspension. Lamborghini used its first Evo wildcard for this. The program is on the verge of being discontinued—or, as the official term goes, it's being paused.

The decision to use the Evo Joker was already made before the decision to discontinue the project for the time being. As a result, Romain Grosjean and Edoardo Mortara contested what may be the car's penultimate race ever with a significant update at the Battle of the Bricks.

Rouven Mohr, Lamborghini's Chief Technical Officer, explains that the new rear suspension had been planned for a long time: "We already recognized last year that we had weaknesses in the kinematics and stiffness of the rear axle. This resulted in tire wear and unstable handling."

Backlog massively reduced

Therefore, three different concepts were initially tested virtually and on a simulator before deciding on the solution now being used in Indianapolis.

The updates paid off: The SC63's fastest lap was just 0.203 seconds slower than the fastest lap of the entire race. In qualifying, it was 0.564 seconds slower. By comparison, the gap was 1.921 seconds at Watkins Glen International, 2.213 seconds at Sebring, and 2.580 seconds at Daytona in qualifying.

The drivers also felt the improvement. "It's going in the right direction," says Romain Grosjean. "The car feels more stable, even though it has to be said that Indianapolis, as a flat track, isn't the biggest challenge. The effect should be even more noticeable on more undulating tracks like Road Atlanta or Sebring."

This clearly demonstrates tremendous progress in the cooperation with Riley Technologies. Bill Riley's team has stepped in as an interim partner for 2025 after the alliance with Iron Lynx broke up at the end of 2024. The team around Claudio Schiavoni is now reportedly experiencing financial difficulties; among other things, a car collection associated with the team was auctioned off.

Looking for a new partner

The newfound competitiveness also sends a signal to potential partners. Such a partner would, of course, have to bring a corresponding budget. The race in Indianapolis and especially the upcoming Petit Le Mans are therefore primarily promotional drives for the company.

Mohr hints that there could be more to come—assuming the project can actually be restarted in 2027. "The suspension was our number one priority package. The car was mostly competitive on flat tracks, but as soon as it became more choppy, we struggled to maintain balance.

These movements in the rear not only affected the drivability, but also directly affected tire wear - an issue that the SC63 had to contend with from the very beginning.

Mohr promises further steps: "Next, we would look at the aero package and then smaller measures such as weight savings and fine-tuning."

But only if a partner can be found. "We need the right partner," says Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann. "Someone with experience, budget, and the ability to operate at this high level. If you ask me if we want to come back, the answer is yes. Whether it will happen, I don't know."

A purely factory team was never planned, Mohr emphasizes. Rather, the long-term approach is intended to be a factory-supported customer team – similar to other Lamborghini programs.

The IMSA series is favored, as it is more attractive to the Italian manufacturer than the World Endurance Championship (WEC) due to both the US market and its cost structure. A start in the Asian Le Mans Series is also conceivable, but there are currently no concrete opportunities.

The performance in Indianapolis was already a successful advertisement. Now it's all about further underlining the potential of the LMDh, which is based on a Ligier chassis, with a good result at Petit Le Mans. Everything else depends on external factors.