The 2026 season of the GT2 European Series ended on a high note for Maserati Corse, which virtually dominated proceedings at the Portimao circuit, securing pole positions and victories in both races held on Sunday at the Algarve circuit.
In Portugal, the teams racing under the Trident banner were almost flawless, securing a total of nine podium finishes across Race 1 and Race 2. In the first round, Antoine Potty (i4Race) finished second overall – claiming victory in the SILVER CUP class – ahead of Philippe and Louis Prette (LP Racing), who were second overall and winners in the PRO/AM class, where Laura Van Den Hengel and Sarah Bovy (Iron Dames by SP Racing) took third place.
Niccolo Pirri and Stefan Rosina (LP Racing) took second place in the SILVER CUP, whilst their team-mate Thomas Yu Lee finished second in the MASTERS class. Mauro Calamia and Roberto Pampanini (Dinamic Motorsport) were less fortunate, crossing the line outside the top 10.
In Race 2, the Prette father and son duo were dominating from the start to claim overall victory and also win the PRO/AM Class, followed by Pirri/Rosina who won the SILVER Class, where Potty finished third this time.
Yu Lee was all smiles after taking the top spot in the MASTERS class, whilst Pampanini/Calamia climbed back into the top 10. Things didn’t go so well this time for the ladies’ duo Van Den Hengel/Bovy, who finished well down the field.
It was a weekend that nevertheless summed up very well what we have seen throughout the season: namely, that Maserati has been one of the most prominent brands on the starting grid of the SRO Motorsports Group series, as well as the one to beat, as Maserati Corse Head Vincent Biard emphasised.
“The 2026 season has been truly exciting for us: Philippe Prette won the MASTERS Cup Class title for the third time, we had three women competing in the Maserati GT2 for the first time, and the results achieved by Antoine Potty in the SILVER category were very positive indeed – he did brilliantly,” acknowledged the French engineer in an interview with Motorsport.com.
Safety Car
Foto di: SRO
“At Portimao, we lined up with six cars on the grid, a sign of the GT2 category’s growth. So the season has been very, very positive and shows us that the path chosen by Maserati Corse is the right one. This steady growth will bring us further successes in the future.”
And speaking of successes and the future, Maserati Corse has just made its debut in the United States, where the GT2 car prepared by Risi Competizione won both GT America races held on 10–11 October.
The performance of the excellent Bronze-category driver, Peter Dempsey, at the wheel of the Maserati – which was entered for the occasion with the number 100 on its side – was made possible by the regulations of the US championship, which allow GT2 cars fitted with a special kit to compete alongside GT3s.
“The result at Indianapolis is truly very important – the icing on the cake of this season; it has shown that our GT2 can compete even amongst the GT3s,” emphasised Biard.
“So, not only is it eligible for 20 different championships that include its category, but with the addition of the GT2+ kit, teams interested in competing in the highest possible category – as permitted by GT America – can do so.
“Winning at Indianapolis in the year of the Trident’s centenary is hugely significant, on a circuit that holds great meaning for Maserati. It was a very positive experience and we hope that teams in America will seize the opportunity to have a GT2 that can compete and win amongst the GT3s.”
Peter Dempsey, Risi Competizione, Maserati GT2
Foto di: SRO
With a successful season now behind them, the Modena-based manufacturer is already looking ahead to 2027, when – as well as reaffirming its status as the team to beat in GT2 – there will also be a great deal of work involved in developing the GranTurismo GT4, which is set to make its debut in 2028, as Biard emphasises in conclusion.
“Next year’s GT2 programmes will be characterised by continuity and progress: continuing to be competitive and providing support services to customers in the paddock, just as we have done this season.
“We are also working on the GT4: this project aims to demonstrate that Maserati’s approach is based on developing technologies from the road to the track and from the track back to the road.
“With the GT4, the aim is to bring all the technology of the new GranTurismo to the track in this ambitious programme, which will open the doors to a large number of major championships around the world.
“2027 will require a great deal of attention during the development, testing and homologation phases, before we can finally take the car to the racetrack. In this way, we will demonstrate that not only is the MC20 platform competitive for GT2, but that the same applies to the new GranTurismo platform with the GT4.”
Maserati GranTurismo Project GT4
Foto di: SRO
See also:
GT2 European: Maserati ends on a high note at Portimao, with titles for Hartling/Thilenius and Gialdini/Njor
GT2 | Ginetta dominates at Zandvoort, Prette crowned Masters Champion with Maserati
KTM and Ginetta triumph at Misano, Maserati takes Masters victory and podiums in Pro/Am