The historic Trident brand spotlights its rich racing legacy.
The racetrack often feels like home for manufacturers with historic racing and motorsport legacies. For Maserati, the Circuit Paul Ricard recently turned into a magnificent homecoming venue. The recently unveiled Maserati GT2 made its racing debut at this circuit, showing the motorsports world that the Italian automaker is back with a bang, determined to reclaim its storied legacy.
Unveiled at the 24 Hours of Spa in late June, the Maserati GT2 entered the final round of the 2023 Fanatec GT2 European Series, demonstrating its mettle. The trusted duo of Leonardo Gorini and Luca Pirri from LP Racing took the wheel of this beast. Their debut race was nothing short of spectacular. After grabbing the pole position on Friday, the car secured a remarkable second-place finish in Race 1 on Saturday, followed by a top-ten finish in Race 2, landing in seventh place. This electrifying performance harkened back to the golden days of Maserati’s racing dominance.
The upcoming 2024 racing season won’t Maserati’s first rodeo in GT competition. The brand made waves in the 2000s with the remarkable MC12, which bagged an impressive 13 titles across Constructors,’ Teams,’ and Drivers’ Championships. The GT2 is the heir to this legacy, a marvel of engineering and design, perfectly poised to fill the shoes of its illustrious predecessor. The new car borrows the Nettuno V6 Twin Turbo engine from its road-going counterpart, the Maserati MC20 super sports car. But, in true Maserati Corse fashion, this engine has been refined and enhanced for superior track performance.
2023 has been a monumental year for Maserati. Following its brand racing strategy announcement in 2022, the brand plunged headfirst into premier motorsport categories this year, bridging the gap between its iconic past, the promising present, and a future brimming with potential. Maserati’s journey in motorsports is the stuff of legends, and the GT2 seems set to add more chapters to this legacy.
Davide Grasso, Maserati’s CEO, captures this sentiment perfectly, stating, “From the racetrack to the road, we’ve always sought challenges to evoke emotions behind the wheel. The Maserati GT2 signifies our racing future.”
Echoing these sentiments, Giovanni Sgro, Head of Maserati Corse, said, “Maserati’s racing DNA is built on passion and competition. Seeing the GT2 on the grid reminds us of our brand’s illustrious past, propelling us into an exciting motorsport era where we aim to be front-runners.”
Indeed, the Maserati GT2’s debut signifies more than just a race. It represents a brand’s undying spirit, passion for performance, and a legacy that continues to inspire. The motorsport world had better brace itself, for Maserati is back on the track, and it’s here to win.
Image Source: Maserati
