Rutronik Racing will expand its partnership with Lamborghini Squadra Corse for the 2027 GT World Challenge (GTWC) Europe powered by AWS season, confirming plans to field two Lamborghini Temerario GT3s following a promising debut campaign with the Italian manufacturer.
The German outfit will retain a Pro Cup entry while introducing a second Temerario GT3 for customer drivers in another category. The expansion strengthens a multi-year partnership that began in 2026, when Rutronik switched from Porsche to Lamborghini and became one of the first teams to compete with the manufacturer’s new GT3 challenger.
The announcement follows a season of significant development for the team, which secured two overall podium finishes in the Sprint Cup through Luca Engstler and Patric Niederhauser. Having established itself among the leading contenders during the second half of the campaign, Rutronik now intends to build on that progress by expanding its operations and strengthening its collaboration with Lamborghini.
Rutronik Racing confirms two-car Lamborghini programme for 2027
Rutronik Racing will take another step in its partnership with Lamborghini by increasing its GTWC Europe programme from one full-season Temerario GT3 to two cars in 2027. The team will continue competing in the Pro Cup while introducing a customer-focused entry in another category, allowing it to combine outright ambitions with opportunities for privateer drivers.
The move follows the multi-year agreement that brought Rutronik and Lamborghini together for 2026. At the time, the German team had just completed a successful five-season association with Porsche and elected to begin a new chapter with the Temerario GT3, which made its European competition debut during the 2026 season.
Rutronik initially concentrated its Lamborghini programme on a single Pro entry across both the Sprint and Endurance Cups. The team selected factory drivers Engstler and Niederhauser for the full campaign, with Marco Mapelli joining them for the longer endurance races.
That approach allowed Rutronik to focus its resources on developing the new car while working closely with Lamborghini Squadra Corse. Following several months of competition, the team believes it has established a foundation strong enough to support an expanded operation.
Graf praises progress during challenging first season
Team Principal Klaus Graf expressed satisfaction with Rutronik’s progress during its first season with Lamborghini, acknowledging the difficulties associated with changing manufacturers while simultaneously introducing an entirely new GT3 platform.
The team entered 2026 with considerable experience in international GT racing but faced the challenge of adapting its operations, engineering processes and driver programme to unfamiliar machinery. Rather than immediately challenging for consistent victories, Rutronik concentrated on understanding the Temerario GT3 and improving its competitiveness throughout the campaign.
Those efforts began producing stronger results during the second half of the year, particularly in the Sprint Cup, where Engstler and Niederhauser secured two podium finishes.
“We aim to expand our collaboration with Lamborghini through a long-term partnership. In a very intense first year with the new Lamborghini Temerario GT3, we were able to make very positive progress on the project together with Lamborghini Squadra Corse and achieve our goals with podium finishes in the second half of the season,” said team principal Klaus Graf.
“We were aware that switching manufacturers in conjunction with the introduction of the new Temerario GT3 would be no easy task, so I am particularly pleased with what we have achieved.”
Graf’s assessment reflects the team’s gradual improvement with Lamborghini’s latest racing car. Although Rutronik encountered difficulties during the opening rounds, its subsequent performances demonstrated the potential of the partnership and encouraged both parties to increase their commitment for 2027.
Magny-Cours and Barcelona podiums highlight Lamborghini progress
Rutronik Racing secured its first major breakthrough with the Temerario GT3 during the second Sprint Cup race at Magny-Cours in August. Niederhauser and Engstler finished third overall, delivering the new Lamborghini its maiden podium in GT World Challenge competition.
The result followed a closely contested race in which Lionspeed GP’s Ricardo Feller and Bastian Buus claimed victory following a decisive pit stop. Rutronik remained in contention throughout, with Niederhauser establishing a competitive position during the opening stint before Engstler moved into the podium places.
The third-place finish at Magny-Cours represented an important achievement for the new programme, demonstrating that the Temerario could compete against established GT3 machinery from Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-AMG.
Rutronik added another podium during the Sprint Cup season finale at Barcelona in October, where Engstler and Niederhauser finished third in a rain-affected opening race. The pairing negotiated challenging conditions to finish behind Tresor Attempto Racing’s Alex Aka and Dylan Pereira and Lionspeed GP’s Feller and Buus.
The Barcelona podium gave Rutronik its second top-three result of the season and reinforced the progress it had made since the opening rounds.
Although the subsequent Barcelona race ended in retirement, the team’s achievements across the final Sprint Cup events provided encouragement ahead of its decision to expand the Lamborghini programme.
Customer entry strengthens Rutronik’s 2027 ambitions
Alongside its existing Pro programme, Rutronik intends to introduce a customer-focused Lamborghini Temerario GT3 entry for 2027. The additional car will compete in another GTWC Europe category, although the team has not yet confirmed its class or driver line-up.
The decision represents a continuation of Rutronik’s longstanding involvement in customer racing. While the outfit has achieved considerable success with factory-supported programmes, it has also operated cars for privateer competitors across several international GT championships.
Graf believes the team’s previous customer racing achievements provide a strong foundation for expanding its collaboration with Lamborghini.
“By expanding the project to two cars in the GT World Challenge Europe, we aim to deepen our collaboration with Lamborghini even further.
“The successes of our customer cars in recent years have impressively demonstrated the calibre of our customer projects.”
Rutronik has already held discussions with potential customers regarding the additional entry, although it will announce further details at a later stage.
The expansion could also strengthen the team’s wider technical programme by increasing the amount of data available across different drivers and racing conditions. Running two Temerario GT3s would allow Rutronik to build on its experience with the car while providing additional opportunities for customers seeking to compete with Lamborghini machinery.
However, the team has not yet confirmed whether both entries will contest the complete Sprint and Endurance Cup calendars.
Porsche success provides foundation for expanded programme
Rutronik enters this new phase following a successful partnership with Porsche, which established the German outfit among the leading teams in GTWC Europe.
The team competed with Porsche machinery for five seasons, regularly challenging at the front of the Pro and Bronze Cup categories. Its most significant achievement came in 2025, when it secured the Endurance Cup Overall Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships.
Niederhauser, Sven Müller and Alessio Picariello claimed the Drivers’ title following a closely contested campaign, ultimately securing the championship by a single point at Barcelona. The team also finished second overall at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, narrowly missing out on victory against Lamborghini’s Grasser Racing Team.
Those achievements provided the foundation for Rutronik’s decision to pursue a new manufacturer partnership. Although the switch ended its Porsche-backed Pro programme, the team maintained a connection with the German marque throughout 2026.
Rutronik confirmed a second Porsche entry for the 2026 Endurance Cup, fielding the #97 Porsche 911 GT3 R in the Bronze Cup. The programme featured Antares Au alongside several experienced drivers, including Müller and Riccardo Pera, and competed in four of the five Endurance Cup rounds.
The decision allowed Rutronik to continue supporting customer drivers while concentrating its principal Pro programme on developing the Lamborghini Temerario GT3.
For 2027, the addition of a second Lamborghini will bring the team’s Pro and customer racing operations under the same manufacturer, strengthening its relationship with Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
Lamborghini partnership enters next phase with Temerario GT3
Rutronik’s expansion also represents another step in Lamborghini’s wider GT3 programme following the introduction of the Temerario.
The new car replaced the long-serving Huracán GT3, which achieved considerable success across international GT championships over the previous decade. Lamborghini developed the Temerario GT3 as its next-generation racing platform, introducing a new technical package while continuing its customer racing activities across Europe and North America.
The Temerario made its global competition debut at the 12 Hours of Sebring in March 2026 before beginning its European racing programme at Circuit Paul Ricard in April. Rutronik joined Grasser Racing Team among the first European operations to field the car in GTWC Europe.
Its arrival introduced a period of adjustment for the teams, which needed to develop their understanding of the new machinery while competing against manufacturers with more established GT3 platforms.
However, Rutronik’s podium finishes at Magny-Cours and Barcelona demonstrated the progress Lamborghini and its partners achieved during the debut campaign.
The addition of another Temerario GT3 in 2027 will increase the manufacturer’s representation in GTWC Europe while giving Rutronik an opportunity to build on the technical and operational experience accumulated throughout 2026.
Rutronik looks ahead to 2027 following Portimão finale
Rutronik’s announcement comes as GTWC Europe prepares to conclude its 2026 season at Portimão, where the team will complete its first campaign with the Lamborghini Temerario GT3.
Engstler, Niederhauser and Mapelli will share the #96 car during Saturday’s three-hour Endurance Cup finale, aiming to finish the season strongly after their Sprint Cup podium success.
Although the team has already confirmed its two-car expansion, Rutronik has not announced the drivers who will contest its 2027 Pro programme or the identities of those involved in its new customer entry. It will reveal further details about the programme, alongside any additional racing commitments, at a later date.
The expanded partnership demonstrates Rutronik’s confidence in Lamborghini following a challenging but productive first season. After establishing the Temerario GT3’s competitiveness through podium performances, the German outfit now intends to strengthen its operations and compete with two cars in Europe’s leading GT3 championship.
For Graf and Rutronik Racing, the move represents a significant commitment to Lamborghini’s long-term GT racing ambitions, with the team seeking to build on its early progress and return to challenging for championship honours in 2027.
