Maserati GT2 will be on the starting grid at the Paul Ricard circuit in the opening round of the 2024 Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli, scheduled for 5 and 6 April at the French circuit. Three cars – two run by LP Racing, and one by the TFT Racing team– are preparing to take part in the new season of the European championship reserved for GT2 class cars. The Trident is liming up on the track for the first time since it took part in the final race of the 2023 season, also in France.
Last October, the Maserati GT2, driven by Leonardo Gorini and Luca Pirri, standard-bearers of LP Racing - made its official debut in the series, bringing home an extraordinary result for a first outing: the Italian team, the first to take Maserati back to GT racing after a long absence from the scene, stood out straight away by securing pole position and a podium placing.
A non-road-homologated racing car type-approved for the GT2 class – with the Nettuno V6 90° twin-turbo engine, already the heart of the MC20 but enhanced to roar and surprise on the track too – the Maserati GT2 was created to bring the Modena brand back to the kerbs in the closed-wheel championships, to hand down a racing tradition that forms an integral part of its DNA.
With Maserati GT2, the Trident has designed and developed a car made for its customers who are hell-bent on racing, dedicated to gentleman drivers eager to test themselves in high-level competitions at the wheel of a car that offers impeccable handling, drivability and adrenaline-fuelled performance. Maserati GT2 is a rush of design devoted to performance and aerodynamics, the custodian of cutting-edge technology supported by the use of the Maserati dynamic simulator – the most advanced in the world – and powered by a sophisticated refined mechanics team, who have developed ideal solutions to make the most of the track.
With its sporty nature and vocation to race, the Maserati GT2 has taken up the baton of the unforgettable Maserati MC12; it is ready to retrace those glorious moments and write new pages in the history of motorsport for its fans, with a product that lives up to the latest GT competitions.
Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse: “For Maserati, seeing three cars starting out in a GT championship is like a homecoming. Over the year, other teams that have purchased our car will be coming along; this makes us even more proud and eager to see the Maserati GT2 return to its spot on the grid in GT championships around the world. We began on the track and racing has been part of us since the brand started out in the world of motorsport. In recent years, Maserati has outlined a detailed strategy to bring the Trident back to racing. Today, we’re delighted to be able to offer our customers a car with character, a perfect synthesis of advanced technology and exceptional performance, a product that meets the demands of motorsport consumers, private teams and gentleman drivers, the category’s target audience. This series is ideal for us and for our car; it fulfils Maserati's goal of taking to the track exceptional products, such as our MC20, with the capability to transform themselves into perfect racing creations, the epitome of the greatest features of our production sports series. We can’t wait to see the Maserati GT2 in its rightful place, in action in the race”.
Ahead of the Paul Ricard race, Maserati Corse is also delighted to announce a new fundamental strategical collaboration - on its GT2 Program - with Shell.
Max Weskamm, Director of Marketing and Partnerships for Shell Global Key Accounts, said: “Shell and Maserati share a passion for innovation and excellence, as reflected in our 15-year technical partnership, and so we are pleased to sponsor the Maserati GT2 in the 2024 Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli. Our partnership includes the supply of Shell Helix Ultra Maserati 5W-40 engine oil for the MC20 race car and first-fill for the road-going version of the same model.”
After the opening race, the Maserati GT2 will be taking part in the entire 2024 season of the Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli. The European series includes five other events: Misano (ITA), 17-19 May; Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa (BEL), 27-29 June; Hockenheim (DEU), 19-21 July; Monza (ITA), 20-22 September; and the final race in Barcelona (ESP), scheduled from 11 to 13 October.
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Nissan Formula E Team is excited to announce a four-year global partnership with Petromin Corporation, a leading mobility solutions provider in the Middle East. The partnership will be primarily focused on the company’s EV charging subsidiary, Electromin, as the business looks ahead to a wider adoption of electric mobility in the region.
The Mercedes-AMG ONE has been the fastest production car on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife since October 2022 and has been unrivalled ever since. The only rival is the ONE itself. Now Mercedes AMG brand ambassador and DTM driver Maro Engel has once again significantly improved the lap time he set. With an officially measured and notarised time of 6:29.090 minutes for the 20.832-kilometre track, the hypercar with Formula 1™ technology beat its own record for production vehicles by over five seconds. This makes the Mercedes AMG ONE the first road car to beat the magic mark of 6:30 minutes. It is also the only series hybrid hypercar to date to have taken on the world's most demanding racetrack and is the undisputed leader in the super-sports-car class. In order to achieve the lofty goals they had set for themselves, meticulous preparation was necessary. In addition, the track conditions had to be ideal in order to beat the 6:30 minute target. On September 23, 2024, at 6:56 p.m., on his third timed lap, Maro Engel achieved the new record. With temperatures of 15 degrees Celsius (air) and 20 degrees Celsius (asphalt), the legendary Nordschleife was dry throughout and offered perfect grip.
Like Lewis Hamilton and George Russell on their Formula 1™ race weekends, Maro Engel also had to make the best possible use of the hybrid drive's electrical energy. This is particularly challenging, especially with a track length of more than 20 kilometres. Therefore, it is immensely important to use the right sections of the track to recuperate during braking phases and thus store energy in the batteries again.
To do this, Maro Engel utilised the AMG ONE's four-stage Energy Flow Control (EFC) system and in some cases deliberately took his foot off the accelerator a little earlier than he normally would. In technical jargon, this is known as “lift and coast”. Preliminary tests in the driving simulator in Affalterbach and on the Nordschleife itself provided the necessary insights, which the team and driver were able to optimally implement for the record lap. In accordance with the specifications of Nürburgring 1927 GmbH & Co KG, the vehicle was tested and documented by TÜV Rheinland to ensure that it was in standard condition. A notary confirmed that the record drive had been carried out correctly.
The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 heads into this weekend’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (IMSA) finale – the Petit Le Mans 10-hour race at Road Atlanta – deep in the hunt for its first major title.
The new Aston Martin Vantage GT3 has enjoyed a stellar debut season of international competition. The car recorded a historic victory in the centenary edition of the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa in June, a first for the British ultraluxury sportscar brand in the modern GT era. It also achieved Aston Martin’s first ever Autobacs Super GT class victory in Japan in the same month. As well as this, Vantage has clinched class wins in the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA, the Nürburgring Langstrecken Series and ADAC GT Masters through the summer.
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