Rossa sportscar makes its European debut: Rusinov and Gutak will perform in Portimão
By ForGeeks The Rossa LM GT race car, developed with Roman Rusinov, will take to the European circuit for the first time – at the end of May it will take part in the Ultimate Cup series in Portugal.
The new Rossa LM GT, created under the guidance of one of Russia’s most titled drivers, continues its development. After a successful debut in the 24-hour race in Dubai, where the sportscar won qualifying, the team decided to test the car in European competition. The next step will be participation in the Ultimate Cup series, which will be held from May 29 to June 1 at the Autodromo Portimão.
Who’s driving
The car will be driven by the French team Graff Racing. At the wheel will be Roman Rusinov himself – two-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, world champion in the LMP2 class, winner of the European Le Mans Series. His partner will be 21-year-old Vyacheslav Gutak, who in 2023 became vice-champion of the Asian Le Mans Series and won the title in the Ultimate Cup. The crew will consist of three drivers in total.
Rusinov emphasized that participation in the race will be an important milestone in the development of the project:
“During the debut in Dubai, the car immediately showed great speed. We have conducted a serious test program and now it is time to test the Rossa LM GT in real racing conditions at the European level.”
Targets and competitors
The car will compete in the GT3 class, where the rivals will be models from recognized automakers: the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo, Mercedes-AMG GT3 and Renault R.S. 01 GT3. For Rusinov, it’s important to get a direct comparison with those cars before homologation begins:
“The GT3 model has to be certified for four years. After that, it is almost impossible to make changes to the design. That’s why we want to try it out in races, so we can finalize everything we need beforehand.”
We are also working on the Rossa GT2 version, which is aimed at so-called gentleman drivers. It has more power, but less aggressive aerodynamics and less effective brakes. Rusinov hopes the GT2 version will become the mainstream version for private customers.
Vyacheslav Gutak has already tested the car and was pleased with the handling:
“The Rossa surprised with its stability and aerodynamic efficiency. I’m looking forward to the real racing”,” he noted.
The Rossa sportscar makes its European debut: Rusinov and Gutak to race in Portimão was first published on ITZine.ru.
