Factory Focus: Edoardo Mortara

The most recent addition to the Lamborghini Factory Driver roster is perhaps the most unique member.

Of the six drivers tasked with putting the Lamborghini SC63 through its development phase in its first year of competition, Edoardo Mortara is the only to be dovetailing two FIA world championship campaigns at the same time.

Edoardo, “Edo”, Mortara is a name familiar to a large part of the motorsport world. The Swiss has amassed an extensive and varied resume during his career so far, therefore providing the perfect balance with World Endurance Championship team-mates Mirko Bortolotti and Daniil Kvyat.

Having forged a similar path to most endurance drivers, Mortara came up through the ranks in single seaters, winning the 2010 European Formula 3 championship before moving to touring cars in DTM.

He finished second in the DTM standings in 2016, but it has been in GT racing where Mortara has perhaps made his name the most and, in particular, at one specific track. With six overall victories – Qualifying and Main race included – at the iconic Guia Circuit in Macau, it’s little wonder Mortara is unofficially known as “Mr Macau”. He has another four wins at the track in Formula 3 machinery.

Alas, Macau does not feature on the FIA WEC calendar, but the street racing experience has surely benefitted Mortara’s racing endeavours in Formula E, which he contests alongside his activities with Lamborghini.

Versatile Mortara certainly is, but let’s get to know Edo a little bit more, shall we?

Along with Matteo Cairoli, you are one of the newest arrivals to the Lamborghini Factory Driver programme. How did the relationship come about for you and how do you feel being part of the Lamborghini family?

It really all came together quite quickly. We started talking about the possibility of racing together at the end of the summer last year because I had finished my season in Formula E by that point. And then the opportunity came, Lamborghini is a very important brand in motorsport, and I was honoured and happy that they were looking to potentially have me in their LMDh project. We did some testing, talked some more and then agreed the deal at the end of last year.

What was the first test of the SC63 like for you?

It was in Almería, but unfortunately, I could not do so many laps due a slight technical issue, but I did a bit more running at Jerez. I pretty much only had wet driving there which was interesting, so really my only dry day of testing came in Barcelona before the start of the season.

What was the development of the SC63 been since the testing phase?

These cars are extremely complexed, because of the rules, so the powertrain and everything about it, the complexity of these cars is really high. So, you can imagine at the beginning of the programme, you are running into all sorts of issues, but this is normal with a new car, but slowly but surely, we have been resolving everything, we have a reliable car and since the start of the season, we have been unlocking more performance out of the car. At the start, we were focusing very much on doing laps, and then when we managed that, we focused on car performance, and I think the progress has been really good so far.

Away from the track, do you have any hobbies or interests other than motorsport?

Well, with the calendar I have, it is quite difficult to have so much down-time away from the track as there is a lot of travelling and simulator work, especially in Formula E, but when I’m alone I am trying to stay with my family as much as I can. I spend time with my wife and my daughter and when I can, I enjoy hanging out with some friends and doing some sports close to home in Geneva.

Away from the track, what has been the worst rental car you ever had?

The worst one that I ever had was when I went to Malaysia a couple of years ago. I still remember that car because the grip was absolutely awful, especially on a wet road. The car had bald tyres; in fact, they were almost like slick tyres! It had no power, but I still managed to drive it quite well, but the car was drifting so much so I just spent all my time trying not to crash it!

You have three songs: one that you know by heart, one you use for motivation and one that is your guilty pleasure. What songs are they?

The one I can pretty much sing all is All I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey. It’s easier when you have a little daughter because she sings it a lot as well, so it’s always on at that time of year.

To get myself motivated, even though I’m not so into music, is probably Eye of the Tiger from the Rocky films.

And then the guilty pleasure, I don’t think I have one, but at the Formula E race in Misano and we had a mechanic who was really feeling a Justin Bieber song and he was completely alone, so he was singing it really loudly and it was quite good actually!