The highly anticipated 2023 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe season is set to commence this weekend at the renowned Paul Ricard circuit in the scenic south of France.
With an impressive roster of 48 cars prepared for intense competition, the event promises to be a thrilling spectacle for motorsport enthusiasts.
Originally scheduled for an earlier start, the season opener was postponed, resulting in an extended off-season. However, this delay has only heightened the excitement surrounding the 15th edition of this exclusive championship, exclusively featuring the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2s.
The Paul Ricard circuit, boasting a challenging 15-turn layout covering 5.842 kilometres, will provide a high-speed yet technically demanding environment, testing the skills of both seasoned professionals and passionate amateurs. The revised calendar comprises six rounds, including races at iconic circuits such as Spa-Francorchamps, Nürburgring, and Valencia, with two double headers at Vallelunga. Notably, Vallelunga will also host the prestigious Lamborghini Grand Finals in November.
The action-packed weekend kicks off on Friday with two one-hour-long free practice sessions. On Saturday, two 20-minute qualifying sessions will determine the starting positions for the opening race, scheduled for 13:25 CET. The excitement continues on Sunday with race two, set to commence at 10:05 CET.
To ensure global accessibility, both races will be live-streamed on the Lamborghini Squadra Corse YouTube channel and Facebook page, allowing fans from around the world to enjoy the thrilling battles on the track.
Pro Category: Familiar and New Faces Set to Compete
In the highly competitive Pro category, several notable contenders emerge as favourites for the title. The perennial front-runner, Oregon Team, led by Marzio Moretti and Sebastian Balthasar, is poised to make a strong bid for the championship. They will face stiff competition from Amaury Bonduel of the BDR Competition, who secured a runner-up finish in last year’s standings.
Additionally, experienced driver Brendon Leitch of Leipert Motorsport will embark on his first solo campaign in the Pro field, adding further intrigue to the competition. Mattia Michelotto, the reigning Lamborghini Grand Finals winner, will pose a significant threat alongside his youthful teammates at VS Racing, including Italian GT Cup race winner Gilles Stadsbader.
Another exciting entry features Daan Arrow, formerly known as Daan Pijl, partnering with former W Series driver Abbie Eaton in Rebelleo Motorsport, a newly established team benefitting from the engineering prowess of Bonaldi Motorsport.
The season will also mark the debut of several promising drivers, including teenager Pedro Ebrahim, who will join forces with series returnee Guillem Pujeu Beya at Oregon Team. Moreover, 16-year-old Ibrahim Badawy will make history as the youngest driver and the first-ever Egyptian participant in Super Trofeo, driving for Lamborghini Roma by DL Racing.
Target Racing introduces two Scandinavian rookies to its lineup, with Danish sensation Largim Ali joining forces with Swedish touring car race winner Oliver Söderström. Iron Lynx will pair former LMP3 racer Ugo de Wilde with Portuguese rising star Rodrigo Testa. Yury Wagner, the 2020 Am category champion, moves up to the Pro class and teams up with British GT4 graduate Patrik Matthiesen, forming a formidable partnership.
Other newcomers include Nigel Schoonderwoerd and former DTM and single-seater racer Yelmer Buurman, who join Iron Lynx, as well as Hugo Condé and Lucas Valkre of Arkadia Racing. Alessandro Mainetti will join series returnee Filippo Berto at Oregon Team after switching from VSR, while Stéphane Tribaudini will compete alongside Loris Cabirou at CMR, following his off-season move from VSR.
Pro-Am Category: An Array of Competitive Entries
The Pro-Am category features a highly competitive field, comprising accomplished drivers who have already claimed victories in Super Trofeo. Loris Spinelli, last year’s Pro-Am co-champion, is among the favourites and will team up with Andrzej Lewandowski, with whom he clinched the Pro-Am Grand Finals title in 2019, at VS Racing.
Karol Basz, another Super Trofeo specialist and Grand Finals winner continues his partnership with Bronislav Formánek at Mičánek Motorsport. The Pro-Am category welcomes back Frederik Schandorff, the 2019 Lamborghini Grand Finals winner, who joins Target Racing alongside Alex Au. Brutal Fish Racing, following their debut last year, embarks on its first full season in Super Trofeo, with team owner Martin Ryba partnering with experienced driver Edoardo Liberati.
ArtLine Team Georgia, absent since 2019, returns to Super Trofeo with Shota Abkhazava and former single-seater and LMP1 driver Egor Orudzhev as their driver pairing. GT3 Poland fields a 100% Polish lineup, as Grzegorz Moczulski teams up with Adrian Lewandowski, son of Andrzej Lewandowski.
Arkadia Racing’s Pro-Am lineup, similar to their Pro entry, consists entirely of French drivers, with former ice racing and rallycross driver Edgar Maloigne partnering with Stéphan Guerin. The Am category sees the return of Emanuele Zonzini and Emanuel Colombini for Iron Lynx, Kerong Li and Jean-François Brunot for Leipert Motorsport, and Lorenzo Pegoraro and Enrico Bettera for Oregon Team. Scuderia Villorba Corse debuts Jim Pla and Michael Blanchemain, while Piergiacomo Randazzo and Giovanni Anapoli represent VS Racing.
Am Category: Wide-Open Competition
With last year’s Am class champion, Andrzej Lewandowski, moving up to Pro-Am, the Am category offers an opportunity for a new champion to emerge. The lineup features several strong contenders, including Pierre Feligioni of Boutsen Racing, who joins forces with experienced GT3 and Super Trofeo driver Renaud Kuppens.
Former Boutsen drivers Claude-Yves Gosselin and Marc Rostan, now driving for Iron Lynx, are also expected to be in contention for the title. Gabriel Rindone, competing solo for Leipert Motorsport, seeks to secure his first Am championship after finishing as the runner-up for the past two seasons. CMR presents an inspiring pairing, with Wilfried Cazalbon racing alongside Nigel Bailly, a paraplegic driver utilizing a specially adapted Huracán equipped with hand controls. Bailly, known for his resilience and accomplishments in various GT3 events, including the Spa 24 Hours, is a prominent figure in motorsport.
Other notable entries include Petar Matić and Paolo Biglieri of Bonaldi Motorsport, Diego Locanto driving solo for Lamborghini Roma by DL Racing, Cedric Leimer for Autovitesse, Antonios Vossos for Target Racing, Jürgen Krebs for Leipert Motorsport, and Holger Harmsen returning for GT3 Poland. Scuderia Villorba Corse and VS Racing will field one car each, driven by Patrick Zamparini and Piergiacomo Randazzo alongside Giovanni Anapoli, respectively.
Lamborghini Cup: Intense Competition Expected
The Lamborghini Cup class, predominantly catering to newcomers, promises an exciting battle throughout the season. Although experience levels vary, the drivers with less track time are determined to make their mark at Paul Ricard. Luciano and Donovan Privitelio, a father and son combination who transitioned from the now-defunct FFF Racing Team, have joined forces with Iron Lynx and aim to contend for the Lamborghini Cup title after their previous appearances in the GT2 European Series and Italian GT.
Kurt Wagner and Libor Dvoraček of Mičánek Motorsport are also expected to challenge for top honours, along with Brutal Fish Racing’s Jason Keats and Charlie Martin. Notably, Charlie Martin became the first transgender driver to compete in Lamborghini Super Trofeo in the North American championship last year. BDR Competition’s efforts in the Lamborghini Cup will be spearheaded by Serge Doms and Alfredo Hernandez Ortega. Meanwhile, Gerard van der Horst, the four-time LB Cup champion, will once again be the driver to beat in 2023.
With an exhilarating start to the season at Paul Ricard, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe series promises intense battles and fierce competition across all classes. Motorsport enthusiasts can look forward to witnessing remarkable displays of skill and determination as the drivers vie for glory in this prestigious championship.