Over the last few seasons, the Ultimate GT Sprint Cup has established itself as the benchmark GT championship for amateur drivers. This format features prestigious vehicles from the world's leading brands - Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Mercedes and many more - to provide thrilling racing for gentlemen drivers. In this series, each race consists of four 25-minute heats, where every second counts. Teams of one or two drivers must combine speed and strategy to win the race.
For this first round, the Circuit Paul Ricard welcomed the competitors from March 28 to 30. Private testing (2 × 35 minutes) followed by qualifying (2 × 15 minutes) allowed the drivers to acclimatize to the technical nature of the Var track before getting down to business. In all, no fewer than 15 cars were entered for the first two races, and 12 for the following two. The starting grid featured a wide range of cars: Maserati MC20 GT2, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo 2, Corvette C7, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, Aston Martin GT4 Vantage Evo, Audi R8 LMS GT4, and Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo. This diversity helped to make the weekend a unique spectacle, where every lap was full of twists and turns.
Race 1
Out of 15 cars in the running, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo 2 fromAlexis Berthier (Team CMR) won the race with a total time of 25'55. She was ahead of the Maserati MC20 GT2 of Patrick Charlaix (Team TFT Racing), credited with an overall time of 26'08. The podium was completed by the Corvette C7 ofOlivier Morihain (Team KRT), who finished in 26'10. Right from this first race, Lamborghini and Maserati showed their ability to compete for victory, and hinted at an Italo-American confrontation with the Corvette.
Race 2
Revenge was not long in coming: out of 15 cars entered, the Maserati MC20 GT2, this time driven by Jordan Boisson (Team TFT Racing) takes the top step with a total time of 26'01. It was ahead of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo 2 ofAlexis Berthet (Team CMR), finishing in 26'07, and the Corvette C7 ofOlivier Morihain (Team KRT), who clocked a time of 26'08. The Maserati thus took its revenge on the Lamborghini, confirming the budding rivalry between the two Italian brands.
Race 3
For the third round, only 12 cars took the start. Victory once again went to the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo 2 ofAlexis Berthet (Team CMR), faster than ever with a total time of 25'43. He was followed by the Lamborghini Super Trofeo of Gérard Van Der Horst (Team Van Der Horst Motorsport), who crossed the line in 25'56. The Maserati MC20 GT2 of Patrick Charlais (Team TFT Racing) rounded off the podium at 25'59. The Lamborghini clan continues to shine, with two Super Trofeo models in the top 2.
Race 4
This last race also features 12 cars on the grid. It is the Maserati MC20 GT2 of Jordan Boisson (Team TFT Racing) dominated the proceedings, completing the 25 minutes in 25'19. Behind him, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo 2 ofAlexis Berthet (Team CMR) took second place in 25'55, while the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo ofLyle Schofield (Team SR&R) rounded off the top three in 25'58. Maserati ended the first round on a high note, proving that the MC20 GT2 is a formidable opponent.
Calendar 2025
This first round kicks off what promises to be an exciting season. After the Circuit Paul Ricard, the drivers will meet again on prestigious tracks:
- April 25, 26, 27 Mugello
- October 10, 11, 12 Magny-Cours
- November 08, 09, 10 : back to the Circuit Paul Ricard
With two wins each, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Evo 2 and Maserati MC20 GT2 got their season off to a perfect start and set the tone for the competition. It remains to be seen whether Ferrari, Corvette, Porsche or Aston Martin will manage to enter this Italian-Italian duel on a more regular basis, or whether the next few rounds will confirm the dominance of the two Transalpine manufacturers.