Bonduel takes slender Pro points lead into penultimate round of the season in Spain
Sant’Agata Bolognese, 10 October 2024 – Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe heads to Spain this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2024 campaign at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya where all four class titles remain up for grabs as the season enters its closing stages.
The Barcelona weekend features not two, but three 50-minute races to accommodate the postponed second race from Le Mans earlier in the year. The rescheduled race will take place at the end of the bill on Sunday 13th October and is reserved for those crews that originally took part in the Le Mans round. Accordingly, the qualifying session completed in the summer will set the grid for race three.
With a total of 45 points up for grabs across the trio of races this weekend and an additional two points for pole position, the title battles in Pro, Pro-Am, Am and Lamborghini Cup remain wide open, with just one double-header the first of two trips to Spain. The final round of the year in November combines with the traditional end-of-season Lamborghini World Finals, held at the Jerez de la Frontera circuit for the first time since 2019.
Bonduel holds the advantage in tight Pro squabble
With a win and a second last time at the Nürburgring, BDR Competition by Grupo Prom’s Amaury Bonduel reclaimed the lead of the Pro standings from Target Racing’s Oliver Söderström and Largim Ali, but the Scandinavian duo will be hot on the heels on their Belgian rival this weekend. Just 7.5 points separate the top two in the championship; Bonduel has four wins from seven races while consistency has been Söderström and Ali’s friend in 2024, picking up one win and three second places. The battle for third in the standings is also heating up with Leipert Motorsport’s Jacob Riegel and Sebastian Balthasar five points ahead of Target Racing’s Hampus Ericsson, with the Iron Lynx duo of Giorgio Amati and Jesse Salmenautio half a point behind Ericsson and tied on 28.5-points with VS Racing’s Mattia Michelotto. Half a point further back is the Oregon Team crew of Enzo Geraci and Leonardo Caglioni who in turn are only two points clear of Art-Line’s Egor Orudzhev, who secured a breakthrough maiden victory in race two at the Nürburgring. Such is the competitiveness of the Pro class, that only four points back in ninth is the Rexal Villorba Corse combination of Benedetto Strignano and Alberto di Folco, while Iron Lynx’s Stefan Bostandjiev and Pavel Lefterov sit in 10th with 19 points.
Formánek and Rosina still out in front in Pro-Am
Mičánek Motorsport’s Štefan Rosina and Bronislav Formánek arrive in Spain with an extended Pro-Am championship lead of 18.5 points over their nearest rivals, Renaud Kuppens and Roee Meyuhas (Boutsen VDS). Both crews have two wins apiece so far in 2024, but three second places have given the Czech pairing of Rosina and Formánek the upper hand in the title scrap. Behind, just 8.5 points split the next three crews with Claude-Yves Gosselin and Joran Leneutre (Iron Lynx) heading Guido Luchetti (Lamborghini Stüttgart by Target Racing) and Miloš Pavlović and Alessio Ruffini (ASR). Not too far behind is the VS Racing partnership of Andrea Frassineti and Ignazio Zanon with Le Mans race one winners Dimitri Enjalbert and Anthony Nahra (Pegasus Racing) lie ninth. Keen to build on their maiden Super Trofeo podium at the Nürburgring is Schumacher CLRT’s Lola Lovinfosse and Laurent Hurgon.
Tribaudini and Randazzo control Am class title race
Having taken a double victory – and overall podium finish – at the previous round in Germany, VS Racing’s Stéphane Tribaudini and Piergiacomo Randazzo are in a rich vein of form heading into the penultimate round of the year this weekend and hold a comfortable if not insurmountable championship lead. The pairing head the way by 27.5-point margin over Schumacher CLRT’s Stéphan Guerin who in turn is just half a point ahead of Target Racing’s Huilin Han, meaning there is everything to play for in Barcelona. Aiming to bounce back from a disappointing weekend last time out is Art-Line’s Nigel Bailly; the Belgian driver sits fourth in the standings, 3.5 points behind Han and is evenly poised to take the fight to the pair in front. GM Motorsport’s Marco Gersager is a driver with momentum on his side after picking up his second podium finish of the year at the Nürburgring and leads a close-knit group battle for fifth comprising of Pietro Perolini (Oregon Team) and Andrzej Lewandowski and Adrian Lewandowski (ASR). The returning Anthony McIntosh (Leipert Motorsport) will move from the Am class to Pro-Am where he will be joined by last year’s Pro champion Brendon Leitch in place of McIntosh’s regular team-mate Glenn McGee.
Half a point the difference as Lamborghini Cup set to go all the way
A double victory for Art-Line’s Shota Abkhazava at the Nürburgring threw the Lamborghini Cup title fight up in the air, with almost nothing to choose between the top four crews, who are separated by just 10.5 points with three races remaining. ASR’s Paolo Biglieri and Petar Matić continue to lead the way but, a pair of fifth places last time out, will be looking to make it back onto the podium in Spain. Holger Harmsen (GT3 Poland) is half a point behind in second but faces a real threat from Abkhazava, whose double success means he now sits just two points back in third. Fourth in the group with 55 points is Charlie Martin, who bounced back from race one retirement to claim a podium on her first outing with Iron Lynx after switching from Brutal Fish Racing post-Le Mans.
The weekend at a glance
Friday 10th October
Free Practice 1 (13:10 – 14:10)
Free Practice 2 (17:50 – 18:50)
Saturday 12th October
Qualifying (11:05-11:55)
Race 1 (16:50 – 17:40)
Sunday 13th October
Race 2 (11:45 – 12:35)
Race 3 (16:50 – 17:40) * Le Mans replacement round
All times CET
2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe calendar
19-21 April – Imola * FIA WEC
9-11 May – Spa-Francorchamps * FIA WEC
11-15 June – Le Mans * FIA WEC
26-28 July – Nürburgring * GT World Challenge Europe
11-13 October – Barcelona * GT World Challenge Europe
14-15 November – Jerez de la Frontera * Lamborghini World Finals