Monza, 22 September 2024 – The renovated Autodromo Nazionale di Monza saw Maserati take centre stage in both races in round 5 of the Fanatec GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli. In Race 1, the House of the Trident monopolised the podium with three cars taking all three podium placings. Victory went to the duo of Leonardo Gorini and Carlo Tamburini duo at the wheel of the number 1 Maserati GT2 fielded by LP Racing, ahead of Alexandre Leroy (number 24 with TFT Racing), who took pole position and won the AM class. The third step on the podium went to Philippe Prette (in the number 2 with LP Racing), also making him the runner-up in his class. In Race 2, Gorini & Tamburini took an important second place in a comeback, a result that means they can still battle for an overall win in the championship. Philippe Prette, on the other hand, was unlucky and was on his way to finishing in fourth and at the top of the AM class: due to a puncture in the last lap he finished ninth and fourth in his class. Conversely, Alexandre Leroy was forced to withdraw due to contact with an opponent.
At the Monza event, a fourth Maserati GT2 also made its debut in the Fanatec GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli. Fielded by Dinamic Motorsport with drivers Mauro Calamia and Roberto Pampanini, it was unfortunately unable to finish Race 1 due to an accident that stopped it lining up for the next race.
The Maserati GT2s immediately took centre stage at the start of Race 1, behind poleman Alexandre Leroy. After the safety car had to come on, the House of the Trident's cars took the first three placings, with Gorini managing to overtake both Prette and Leroy at first. The situation crystallized after the pit stop, with Tamburini gaining ground again and consolidating his lead to finish ahead of Leroy and Prette, for an all-Maserati podium.
The second race saw Gorini & Tamburini face a comeback race, due to an issue during qualifying that forced them to start from the back. Tamburini immediately started at a great pace and moves into runner-up position after a few laps. Prette and Leroy were also aiming for the podium and decided to make a pit stop at the beginning of the window. Unfortunately, Leroy was forced to abandon due to a contact in the first chicane, with Prette falling victim to a puncture on the last lap, relegating him into ninth. Gorini, who took over from Tamburini in the number 1 Maserati GT2, got closer and closer to the tread, only failing to reach him for a short time during the last lap. As runners-up, however, Gorini & Tamburini remain in the running for overall victory at the final round in Barcelona, due to take place from 11 to 13 October. Prette and Leroy can also still win the title in the AM class.
At Monza, during the race weekend of the Fanatec GT2 European Series championship powered by Pirelli, the new Maserati GT2 Stradale super sports car was also previewed for the first time.
Officially unveiled in August at the prestigious Monterey Car Week in California, the car is an ode to the most extraordinary and exclusive sportiness, the fruit of the technical and stylistic union between the Maserati GT2, an epitome of performance created for the brand's return to closed-wheel competitions, and Maserati MC20, an iconic Trident car imbued with an unmistakable style.
GT2 Stradale is a car rooted on the track and type-approved for use on the road, with the ability to combine the extreme, refined performance of the racing world with the option of driving it as an everyday car. The best of the MC20 and GT2, standard-bearers of Maserati's racing DNA: top speed of 324 km/h; maximum output increased to 640 hp (471 kW), 10 hp more than the MC20; acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, making it the most agile rear-wheel drive (RWD) in its category.
On the Monza track together with the Maserati GT2 and GT2 Stradale had to be the interpreter of the Italian brand’s most absolute exclusivity: MCXtrema. The 740 hp racing car, approved for track use only and dedicated to the excellence of gentleman drivers and racing car enthusiasts, has been produced in only 62 units.
To conclude the racing season, Maserati will be putting forward its GT2s in the final round of the 2024 Fanatec GT2 European Series Powered by Pirelli season, due to take place from 11 to 13 October in Barcelona, Spain.
