Lamborghini puts 2026 IMSA GTP programme “on hold”

Lamborghini has announced it is placing its IMSA SportsCar Championship GTP programme “on hold” for the 2026 season as part of a “strategic realignment of its motorsport activities”.

The Italian manufacturer explained that the “conditions on which the programme was based have significantly changed” since its inception, with both the cost and technical complexity of running the SC63 LMDh having “grown beyond original projections.”

As such, Lamborghini said it will be diverting its attention to the new Temerario GT3 prototype that will come on stream in 2026, as well as its Super Trofeo one-make series.

Lamborghini had joined the burgeoning LMDh platform in 2023 with a twin programme in the World Endurance Championship and IMSA SportsCar Championship’s Michelin Endurance Cup.

However, amid a lack of competitiveness, it had already pulled out of the WEC this year and reduced its involvement to just the five Michelin Endurance Cup races on the IMSA calendar. At that time, Lamborghini cited the new two-car rule for the 2025 WEC as the reason behind its exit from the series.

The Italian marque will now sit out the 2026 GTP season.

“Automobili Lamborghini has announced a strategic realignment of its motorsport activities, with the decision to place the IMSA GTP program on hold for the 2026 season,” read a statement.

“Initially conceived as a natural evolution of Lamborghini’s successful customer racing platform, the Hypercar/GTP project was launched with the ambition of further expanding the brand’s presence in top-tier endurance racing.

“The program was designed to ensure global visibility through the presence of a hybrid racing car in each of the two championships where this class is admitted. However, the conditions on which the program was based have significantly changed.

“As the project developed, resource demands - both in terms of budget and technical complexity have grown beyond original projections.

“Given this context, Lamborghini has made the strategic decision to refocus its efforts and investments on the GT3 platform and Super Trofeo, which remain the cornerstones of the brand’s motorsport activities and a key pillar in delivering performance excellence to its customers around the world.”

Lamborghini had originally started the SC63 programme in collaboration with Iron Lynx, which ran one car each in the WEC and IMSA’s MEC races last year.

However, the Sant'Agata Bolognese marque ended up splitting with Iron Lynx after just one season, with Riley being announced as its service provider for the 2025 IMSA campaign at the last-minute.

Lamborghini will contest the remaining two IMSA endurance races at Indianapolis and Atlanta this year, but it is unclear if the programme will be relaunched in 2027 after a year-long hiatus.