Imperiale Returns Lambo to Sprint Cup Pro Class for Misano

Two additional Lamborghini entries have bolstered the Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup grid for this weekend’s fixture at Misano, including a Pro-class effort from Imperiale Racing.

The Italian GT Championship and Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe competitor has registered a single Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo to be driven by factory driver Albert Costa and official GT3 Junior Alberto Di Folco.

It marks the first Lamborghini entry in the Pro category of Sprint Cup this season, following Emil Frey Racing’s switch to ADAC GT Masters after last year’s campaign.

The second extra Lamborghini is a Pro-Am car for LP Racing, which usually races in the Fanatec GT2 European Series.

Lamborghini Super Trofeo race winner Jonathan Cecotto will share the No. 888 Huracan with his Italian GT Sprint co-driver Mattia Di Giusto.

The additional entries from local Lamborghini teams bring the GTWC Europe Sprint Cup field up to a season-high 27 cars for the fourth and penultimate round of the season.

JP Motorsport is continuing with two McLaren 720S GT3s, including the Pro-class entry for Vincent Abril and Dennis Lind that made its debut last time out at Zandvoort.

There has been a lineup change in the Pro-Am JP Motorsport McLaren, with three-time Sprint Cup race winner Norbert Siedler replacing team advisor Christian Klien alongside Bronze-rated Patryk Krupinski.

Notably, JOTA remains absent from the Sprint Cup grid for a second consecutive meeting, with the British McLaren squad electing to skip Misano to focus on its TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa preparations, according to team principal Sam Hignett.

It is unclear if the JOTA McLaren will return for the season finale at Valencia in September.

A date clash with the FIA WTCR round at Vila Real prevents Gilles Magnus from taking up his seat in the No. 26 Sainteloc Racing Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II.

The Belgian, who is an Audi Sport factory driver, will be replaced by Lucas Legeret who drives Sainteloc’s Pro-class Audi in GTWC Europe Endurance Cup.

Legeret and Nicolas Baert are set to compete in Silver Cup, which is where Baert and Magnus normally race together. 

GSM Novamarine has signed Daan Pijl to its Silver Cup entry, with the Dutchman joining his compatriot Danny Kroes in the No. 18 Lamborghini.

Pijl and Kroes are former driving partners in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe, while the latter drove for GSM at Zandvoort teaming up with Lucas Mauron.

Hugo Delacour rejoins Cedric Sbirrazzuoli in the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 after the latter was paired with Stefano Costantini for the previous round.

The other driver lineups are unchanged since Zandvoort.

The Team WRT Audi pairing of Dries Vanthoor and Charles Weerts head to Misano with a half-point lead over Akkodis ASP Mercedes-AMG duo Raffaele Marciello and Timur Boguslavskiy, at the head of the overall championship standings.