The Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe reaches its 15th edition. On the French circuit of Paul Ricard (Le Castellet), the new season of the one-make championship reserved for the cars of the Sant’Agata Bolognese company kicks off this weekend, which since last year has featured the new Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2, starting from 2023 all with Hankook tyres.
A total of 48 crews are expected at the start of the first of the six double appointments on the calendar, which will precede the following stages in order at Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, Valencia and Vallelunga. The Roman track will host the last two rounds and the Grand Finals consecutively, thus crowning the celebrations for Lamborghini’s 60th anniversary.
Lamborghini Super Trofeo
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Full of crews in the Pro class
The format of past editions has been reconfirmed, with the usual division into four different classes. After taking the Pro title last year, the Bonaldi Motorsport team is ready to launch a two-pronged attack. On one of the cars fielded by the team from Bergamo, the young Daan Pijl will alternate with the lady Abbie Eaton, making her debut in the series. The other duo will instead be made up of the more experienced Miloš Pavlović and Michael Fischbaum. Mattia Michelotto will be present with VSR, who in 2021 achieved success in the world finals at Misano and who will alternate at the wheel with the Belgian Gilles Stadsbader, who turned 19 in February.
After making its comeback in the Super Trofeo Europe last year in Portimão, the Iron Lynx (team also engaged this year in the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe with the GT3 and partner of Lamborghini for the LMDh program in the FIA WEC and IMSA since 2024) will always be present in the Pro with Rodrigo Testa and newcomer Ugo De Wilde. Triple commitment in the same class for the Oregon Team, which aims to take back the scepter conquered two years ago.
One of the crews of the Lombard team will be made up of the returning Sebastian Balthasar and Marzio Moretti, the latter in his second season in the series and last year victorious in the first of the two races at Spa. Second season also for Filippo Berto, who will exchange with the rookie Alessandro Mainetti. The Spaniard Guillem Pujeu Beya is also returning to the Oregon Team after a year’s break, teaming up with the 17-year-old Brazilian Pedro Ebrahim.
A car for Target Racing, entrusted to the two Scandinavians Oliver Söderström and Largim Ali, both at their first experience in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo but with a solid track record in single-seaters. The BDR Competition is betting everything on the Belgian Amaury Bonduel, who like Moretti obtained his first success last year at Spa, on his home track. Leipert Motorsport will be able to count on a certainly fast and expert driver like the New Zealander Brendon Leitch, also fielding a second car for the duo formed by Yury Wagner and the other rookie Patrik Matthiesen.
The two Frenchmen Hugo Condé and Lucas Valkre will make their debut with Arkadia Racing. The Dutch Benjamin and Robert van den Berg are expected with HBR Motorsport, while the CMR team will be at the start with the other transalpines Loris Cabirou and Stéphane Tribaudini. A car also for Lamborghini Roma by DL Racing, which makes the young Egyptian Ibrahim Badawy make his debut.
Lamborghini Super Trofeo
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Important names in the Pro-Am
After having conquered the class title last year, the Oregon Team lines up the Italian crew made up of Enrico Bettera and Lorenzo Pegoraro in the Pro-Am. Eyes on the VSR duo formed by Loris Spinelli (reigning Pro champion) and Andrzej Lewandowski; the Pole, with Vincenzo Sospiri’s team, won the Am title for the second time in 2022 after graduating in 2020 and 2021 as champion in Pro-Am. Reconfirmed the Iron Lynx duo formed by the two San Marino riders Emanuele Zonzini and Emanuel Colombini, who scored last year in the opening at Imola. Target Racing will be there with 2019 Pro World Champion Frederik Schandorff and Alexander Au.
The pairing of absolute reference is also that of the Micanek Motorsport team, on track with the other Pole Karol Basz (together with Michelotto, winner of the Lamborghini World Finals two years ago) and the Czech Bronislav Formanek. With Brutal Fish Racing the pairing formed by the 2015 champion of the Asian series Edoardo Liberati and Martin Ryba is back for the second year. The ART-Line team returns, at the start with the multi-titled Shota Abkhazava and Egor Orudzhev.
Leipert Motorsport has instead reconfirmed Jean François Brunot and Kerong Li. Debut for Scuderia Villorba Corse with the all-French duo formed by Michael Blanchemain and Jim Pla. Two crews of GT3 Poland; one of these will be made up of Adrian Lewandowski (son of Andrzej) and Grzegorz Moczulski, while the two newcomers Bartosz Groszek and Mariusz Miekos will be in the other car. Arkadia Racing will finally be represented by Stéphan Guerin and Edgar Maloigne.
Lamborghini Super Trofeo
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News and confirmations in the Am and Lamborghini Cup classes
After finishing second last year in the Am class, Gabriel Rindone is aiming high again with the Leipert Motorsport team. Two cars for the Boutsen Ginion, entrusted to Elie Dubelly-Pierre Feligioni and Renaud Kuppens-Karim Ojjeh. Joining the Iron Lynx team will be Claude-Yves Gosselin. A Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 of the Bonaldi Motorsport team for Paolo Biglieri and Petar Matić. Diego Locanto is expected at the start with Lamborghini Roma by DL Racing. Debut with CMR for Nigel Bailly and Wilfried Cazalbon. Also making their debut with VSR are Giovanni Anapoli and Pergiacomo Randazzo. The ranks are completed by Jürgen Krebs (Leipert Motorsport), Holger Harmsen (GT3 Poland), Cedric Leimer (Autovitesse) and Antonios Vossos (Target Racing).
Confirmations and new names also in the Lamborghini Cup. The Dutchman Gerard van der Horst (Van der Horst Motorsport), already four times champion of the same class, will be at the start again. Two cars for the Iron Lynx, one for Luciano and Donovan Privitelio, in the order father and son, and the other for Kumar Prabakaran. With the BDR Competition there will be Alfredo Hernandez Ortega, in his second year in the Super Trofeo Europe, and at the same time the Belgian Serge Doms will make his debut. From the North American series, in which they starred last year, come Jason Keats and Charlie Martin, in force at Brutal Fish Racing. Libor Dvoracek and Kurt Wagner are back with Micanek Motorsport.
The Paul Ricard weekend programme
Tomorrow we will start with two free practice sessions of one hour each. On Saturday, starting at 8.10 in the morning, the two qualifying rounds are scheduled (each lasting 20 minutes), while the first of the two 50-minute races will get underway at 13.25. Race 2 will finally start on Sunday at 10.05. Both races will be broadcast in live streaming on Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s Facebook and YouTube channels and live on Sky Sport Arena TV.
