Maserati GT2, the Brand's new track sports car devoted to competition – unveiled in late June at the 24 Hours of Spa – made its racing debut at the Circuit Paul Ricard, in the final round of the 2023 Fanatec GT2 European Series.
Ushering in the 2024 season ahead, the new 100% Made in Modena racing creation will officially be a competitor in the championship dedicated to the most eye-catching and high-performance grand touring cars.
The debut in the European series signifies Maserati's triumphant return to GT competition, where it made its mark in the 2000s with the winning MC12, showcasing a string of successes of as many as 13 titles between Constructors,' Teams,' and Drivers' Championships.
A worthy successor to a car that was the stuff of dreams for fans and enthusiasts of the Italian brand alike, the Maserati GT2 is a masterpiece of performance tuned up in the footsteps of its glorious track forerunner and those of the Maserati MC20 super sports car, a road-going creation that shares with its spiritual sibling the extraordinary Nettuno V6 Twin Turbo engine, taken to an even higher level to tackle the challenges between the kerbs.
Maserati thus marks another major milestone: after having announced its new Brand racing strategy in late 2022, it has lent its name to the greatest categories of international motorsport in 2023. Maserati has rebuilt the bridge between the past, present, and future of motorsport, where the Trident has always carved out a place for itself among the greats.
Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse: 'We couldn't have asked for a better debut. The car today proved to be really competitive, and we are very pleased with this result. For us, getting back on the track is like coming home. Maserati has a long history in racing. It's something that has always belonged to us and has set us apart. The Trident's DNA is made up of passion and competition, which translates to sensational cars dedicated to our series production and challenges on the track. Seeing the Maserati GT2 on the starting grid in a GT championship is a reminder of the Brand's glorious past, which is once again taking shape and moving us forward into a new era of motorsport, where we once again strive to be one of the big players.'
Maserati S.p.A.
Maserati produces a complete range of unique cars, immediately recognisable for their extraordinary personality. Thanks to their style, technology, and innately exclusive character, they delight the most discerning, demanding tastes and have always been a benchmark for the global automotive industry. A tradition of successful cars, each of them redefining what makes an Italian sports car in terms of design, performance, comfort, elegance, and safety, currently available in more than 70 markets internationally. The ambassadors of this heritage are the Quattroporte flagship, the Ghibli sports sedan, the Levante – the first SUV made by Maserati, and the Grecale, the 'everyday exceptional' SUV, all models characterised by the use of the highest quality materials and excellent technical solutions. A range equipped with 4-cylinder hybrid powertrains – available for Ghibli, Grecale and Levante – V6 and V8 petrol engines, with rear-wheel and four-wheel drive, embodying the performance DNA of the Trident Brand, now completed with the Grecale Folgore, Maserati's first full-electric SUV. The top of the range is made up of the MC20 super sports car and the MC20 Cielo spyder, powered by the ground-breaking 100% Maserati Nettuno V6 engine, which incorporates F1-derived technologies into the power unit of a standard production car for the first time. The new GranTurismo is available with both the powerful V6 petrol engine, derived from the Nettuno, and a 100% electric version: the GranTurismo Folgore, the first car in the Modena-based brand's history to adopt this solution. By 2025, all Maserati models will also be available in a full-electric version, and the entire Maserati range will run on electricity alone by 2030.
Photo credit: Maserati
posted on conceptcarz.com
The Maserati GT2, driven by Leonardo Gorini and Luca Pirri, standard-bearers of LP Racing - the first team to bring a Trident car to the track - immediately distinguished itself thanks to an incredible performance during the race weekend: after the pole position on Friday, it climbed on the second step of the podium in Race 1 on Saturday and finished in the top ten in Race 2, in seventh place. A debut that promptly reignited the glorious memories of Maserati's racing history.
Davide Grasso, Maserati CEO: 'With its return to GT competition, Maserati is writing another significant chapter in the history of the most exciting and ambitious motorsport, carving out a place for itself where it had already left its mark in the past as a result of a trail of indelible successes. From the racetrack to the road, we always been seeking challenges to fuel and realise the desire to convey emotion behind the wheel. The Maserati GT2 is our passport to the brand's future in the racing world.'
posted on conceptcarz.com
