Matteo Cairoli, after making his debut in the FIA WEC aboard the Mercedes AMG GT3 of the Iron Lynx team, adds a second program with Winward Racing in the SRO Motorsport endurance series. The call of the German-American team is a great responsibility, as they are fresh from the 2024 overall and sprint titles in the Stéphane Ratel-branded competitions.
Cairoli will be joined by those who brought the number #48 to success, namely Maro Engel and Lucas Auer. Both are two with great experience with the AMG GT3, which will undoubtedly be useful for the Italian driver to speed up his adaptation to the car. The trio will wear the colors of the famous “Yellow Mamba” livery, to represent the yellow snake with the sponsor MANN FILTER, which over the years has appeared at the top of the rankings in GT3 competitions.
Cairoli’s best result in the GTWC Europe – Endurance Cup dates back to 2020, when he finished 3rd overall defending the Porsche brand. Undoubtedly the most important race of the season will be the 24 Hours of Spa, in which the Como native boasts an overall pole and the victory in the Bronze Cup in 2023 while, this season, he will start the assault on the overall standings among the PRO crews.
The first outing on the track with Winward Racing will instead be at Paul Ricard, with the prologue that prepares the season, with the 6-hour race scheduled to open the championship on April 12, with the arrival at night. After the prologue in Spa (May 13-14) the home race will arrive in Monza, while on June 29 it will be the turn of the 24 Hours of Spa. The engines will restart after the summer break with the 3 Hours of Nurburgring, on August 31, and the finale in Barcelona, on October 12.
Matteo Cairoli
“I am delighted to be able to represent Mercedes in the GT World Challenge Europe, I am excited for this season which will be full of commitments. I will give all my support to Winward Racing to ensure they can confirm their lead in the championship. I am also very curious to start working with Lucas and Maro as teammates, after having been rivals for years”.
