Mirko Bortolotti

Mirko Bortolotti is an Italian racing driver who most recently joined Audi as a factory driver in different sports car competitions. Previously, he was Lamborghini's factory driver, winning the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup with GRT Grasser Racing Team in 2017, together with Christian Engelhart and Andrea Caldarelli.

Earlier in a career, Bortolotti was a champion few times, in the 2013 Megane Trophy Eurocup, in the 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship and in the 2008 Formula 3 Italian Championship.

Entering car racing at the age 15

Born in January 1990 in Trento, Italy, Mirko Bortolotti started his racing career in karting competitions but he made an early switch to car racing. At the age 15, he made a debut in several Italian single-seater competitions (Formula Renault, Formula Gloria, Formula Junior).

In 2006, Bortolotti returned to Formula Renault and Formula Junior but his main competition was the Formula Azzura, in which he spent a full season and finished second in the points.

Italian Formula 3 champion in 2008

Bortolotti progressed to the Italian Formula 3 in 2007, driving a Dallara-Opel for Corbetta Competizioni. He was a race winner once, finishing fourth in the points.

For the 2008 Italian F3 Championship, Bortolotti joined Lucidi Motors to drive a Dallara-Fiat, scoring nine wins in sixteen races to dominantly win the championship title. As a reward for his title, Bortolotti had an opportunity to test Ferrari F1 car at Fiorano Circuit in November 2008. He impressed everybody by setting a new lap record in a Ferrari F2008.

Formula Two champion in 2011

In 2009, Bortolotti made a progress to FIA Formula Two Championship, entering a competition as a Red Bull Junior. He was a race winner in the second round at Brno, adding four more podiums to finish fourth in the points. In 2010, Bortolotti switched to GP3 Series, driving for Spanish Addax Team. With just one podium, he finished 11th in the points.

In 2011, Bortolotti returned to Formula Two. He won the season-opening race at Silverstone and then added six more wins to his account, winning the championship title with a big advantage over the second-placed driver.

Switching to GT racing in 2012

As a Formula 3 and Formula 2 champion, Bortolotti wanted to continue a career in Formula 1 but he never gets a chance to race in a premier single-seater competition. In November 2011, at Yas Marina Circuit, he participated in the young drivers' test with Williams F1 Team but there was no place for him in F1.

In 2012, Bortolotti turned his career to GT racing. He participated in two rounds of the ADAC GT Masters, joining Abdulaziz Al Faisal in Schubert Motorsport's #19 BMW Z4 GT3 at Sachsenring and Nurburgring. In four, they reached one podium, the third place at Sachsenring.

Megane Trophy Eurocup champion in 2013

In 2013, Bortolotti spent a season in the Megane Trophy Eurocup, driving the #4 Renault Megane for the Italian Oregon Team. He opened a season with two pole positions and two wins in the first round at Aragon.

Later in the season, he scored six more wins at five tracks (Spa, Moscow Raceway, Red Bull Ring, Hungaroring, Barcelona), dominantly winning the championship title.

Racing with Lamborghinis since 2014

In 2014, Bortolotti had a double schedule, driving Lamborghini Gallardo in GT races and Lamborghini Super Trofeo one-make championship but also participating in the Formula Acceleration 1 (FA 1) series. He was fighting for the FA1 championship against Nigel Melker, missing out the final round and finishing second in the points.

Bortolotti scored two wins with Imperiale Racing's Lamborghini Gallardo in the Italian GT Championship and three wins with Bonaldi Motorsport's Gallardo in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe. He also won one race at Super Trofeo World Final at Sepang.

Joining Grasser Racing Team in 2015

In 2015, Bortolotti became Lamborghini factory driver and joined Grasser Racing Team to drive a new Lamborghini Huracan GT3. He participated in all five rounds of the Blancpain Endurance Series, sharing the #63 Lamborghini with Giovanni Venturini and Adrian Zaugg.

Bortolotti also participated in one round of the Blancpain Sprint Series Sprint Cup, scoring two podiums in two races together with Patrick Kujala. He also appeared in one round of the ADAC GT Master, sharing the #63 car with Adrian Zaugg at Red Bull Ring. They were sixth in Race 1 and the winners of Race 2.

In 2015, Bortolotti also stayed with Imperiale Racing in the Italian GT Championship, finishing third in GT3 class standings.

Daytona 24 Hours debut in 2016

Bortolotti had a similar schedule in 2016, driving for GRT in the Blancpain GT Series an ADAC GT Masters, and for Imperiale Racing in the Italian GT Championship, but also making a debut at Daytona 24 Hours with Paul Miller Racing. He finished 16th in GTD class.

In 2016, Bortolotti was the most successful in the Italian GT Championship, scoring four wins together with Jeroen Mul and finishing sixth in the points. In the ADAC GT Masters and Blancpain Sprint Series, he was without wins. In the Blancpain Endurance Series, his only win was at Nurburgring, together with Christian Engelhart and Rolf Ineichen in the #16 Lamborghini.

Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup champion in 2017

In 2017, Grasser Racing Team made a debut at Daytona 24 Hours, running the #11 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 in GTD class. Bortolotti was one of four drivers, finishing 15th in class. They also participated at Sebring 12 Hours, not finishing the race.

Later in the season, Bortolotti scored five wins in three competitions. He was a winner two times (Monza, Silverstone) in the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup, winning a title together with Christian Engelhart and Andrea Caldarelli. Bortolotti and Engelhart added two wins, both at Brands Hatch, in the Sprint Cup, finishing fourth in the final standings. In the ADAC GT Masters, Bortolotti was sharing a car with Ezequiel Perez Companc in six rounds, winning one race at Lausitz.

In 2018, Bortolotti stayed with Grasser Racing Team in the Blancpain GT Series and ADAC GT Masters but his biggest success was out of those competitions - the victory in GTD class at Daytona 24 Hours. In January 2019, he repeated a victory at Daytona in GRT's Lamborghini.

Moving to Audi for the 2020 season

The sensational transfer had been announced at the end of the season in 2019. Bortolotti left Lamborghini and joined Audi to drive for the German manufacturer in different sports car competitions in 2020.

Photos: Mirko Bortolotti,