It was June 2022 when Maserati announced its intention to take to the field with an MC20 in GT2 version, presented 365 days later at the very prestigious 24h of Spa-Francorchamps.
When we entered the Trident stand set up on the Belgian track to watch the veil fall, Stéphane Ratel – great boss of SRO Motorsports Group and organizer of the GT2 European Series – and his friend Luca Pirri were also present, as a curious and interested to the car.
In reality, the 51-year-old Roman, driver and Team Manager of his team, LP Racing, could not be missed as he was the one who would then bring the Maserati GT2 to its debut in the 2023 championship which was running out, on the occasion of the last round at Paul Ricard.
Pirri and Leonardo Gorini immediately made a splash with the Emilian car, achieving victory and podium in the PRO/AM Class, a starter for what would then be the return to action for 2024 with Gorini flanked by Carlo Tamburini and a second car that LP Racing prepares for Philippe Prette in the AM category, as well as having a third vehicle, the Audi R8 with which the Italian team won the title last season.
After more champagne uncorked between Le Castellet and Misano, Motorsport.com met Pirri to talk about this beautiful adventure alongside Maserati Corse, which began with the intention of continuing for a long time and being pioneers of a competition that will always be able to expand in the future more, as the pilot/manager explains in this exclusive interview.
#12 LP Racing, Maserati GT2: Leonardo Gorini, Luca Pirri
Photo by: Maserati Media Center
Luca, why did you choose the GT2 championship?
“I was born as an FIA GT1 driver and, already then, I realized that this type of World Championship was going in a direction of non-sustainability. There Stéphane Ratel’s idea of creating the GT3 was born, which I immediately embraced first year racing with Ascari, Corvette and Ford GT40. Subsequently the series became the one it is today, with costs that are rising significantly, although the numbers of participants do not suggest this. After racing and winning in PRO/AM, I realized I realized that drivers, especially in Italy, were struggling to find a budget for a championship of this level. So, I decided to immediately embrace Stéphane’s new idea of GT2.”
And you managed to get it straight away!
“We started with the excellent Audis equipped with a V10 engine and DSG gearbox derived from the series, winning the AM class in 2022 and the PRO/AM class in 2023 with 8 poles out of 12 races. Among other things, Ratel himself’s choice to participate in pairing with me was a source of pride both for my team and as a driver; together we managed to get on the podium several times, with three second places under our belt, so excellent results.”
When and how did the opportunity to race with Maserati arise?
“When Maserati set its sights on the championship in 2022, a collaboration began with the development team made up of indications and suggestions to support the creation and growth of the car. I presented to our drivers the project of bringing a prestigious, Italian brand back to the track and it was welcomed with enthusiasm, in fact we were able to field the first two GT2s.”
#12 LP Racing, Maserati GT2: Leonardo Gorini, Luca Pirri
Photo by: SRO
A brand you already knew…
“Yes, I am proud and lucky to be the only one to have had the opportunity to race with the MC12 and the brand new MC20, following the GT2 now as Team Manager; a great story and we are very happy with what we are doing.”
What championship is GT2?
“It’s a very competitive series made up of many brands and if you look at the times of the best, the differences are really minimal. From an organizational and promotional point of view, SRO is doing an excellent job, as always; we are aware that it will be a challenge challenging, but we will give it our all.”
Why the choice to make his debut with Maserati at the end of 2023, rather than waiting for the beginning of 2024?
“It was very important to compare ourselves with our rivals to understand what our level was from a technical, management and reliability point of view of the car. Discovering certain aspects in the race is always risky, so we wanted to start in 2024 with the awareness of being at place and be able to do well. The idea was actually to make our debut in Valencia, but we only managed to be present at Paul Ricard, and I think it was excellent because interest was created early, acquiring important data, considering that the project He’s very young.”
#12 LP Racing, Maserati GT2: Leonardo Gorini, Luca Pirri
Photo by: Maserati Media Center
Did you also take part in the development tests?
“I was lucky enough to get on track one day at Vallelunga with Maserati’s test driver, Daniele Manca, but a large part of the development focused on the reliability and components side, so we are discovering the performance side and carrying it forward now.”
Pole, victories and podiums both at the debut in 2023 and in the first two events of 2024; How much room do you have for growth yet?
“A lot. We always need to work not only on performance, but also on overall management, such as the tyres, for example; remember that we too are subject to a Balance of Performance, so it is essential to know how to use the tires for as long as possible, going always strong and at the maximum possible level. Strategy is very important, as is handling and fully knowing the tire usage window with the slowest riders, who are the ones who win races in the end.”
How do you approach such a professional and sophisticated project with gentlemen pilots?
“It is certainly an added difficulty, but we are very lucky because our Bronzes are still young; Leonardo Gorini is 40 years old and experienced, boasting an AM podium at the 24h of Spa, and trains a lot. We work with people who have ample margins for growth, then there is the awareness that on the track you can find yourself involved in accidents with other less experienced competitors, as happened to our Philippe Prette in Race 2 at Misano, which is also the beauty of the game because reaching hyper-professionalism would take away the spectacular nature and humanity of certain errors.”
#1 LP Racing, Maserati GT2: Leonardo Gorini, Carlo Tamburini
Photo by: SRO
Do you think Maserati could think about jumping into GT3 in the future?
“Definitely yes, the product is very valid and if the parent company wanted to invest in the project the conditions are there. I consider it a much more modern and innovative program compared to various ones on the GT3 market. I really believe that the transition would be desirable and could lead to further satisfactions”.
Would you be ready to make the leap to category?
“I would be very happy and we hope that the Trident is of the same opinion! But let’s remember that it is also essential to carefully choose the platform in which to race and show off if you have ambitions of a certain type, so remaining at an international level is important.”
As a championship, how much can GT2 grow in the coming years?
“I believe that growth could be the result of the GT3 crisis. I feel that some drivers are already looking around and taking an interest in this championship, so I think the two things are related. GT2 could be an outlet for many gentlemen who I no longer see in the GT3, being able to benefit from a professional package like the one offered by SRO, not only from the set-up of the paddock, but also from the video quality, direction with cameras and drones, plus there is also Assetto Corsa Competizione , a video game that gives cars and sponsors the opportunity to appear proudly and increase advertising visibility, which is not a trivial aspect.”
#2 LP Racing, Maserati GT2: Philippe Prette
Photo by: SRO
There’s a lot of talk about sustainability and one of the aspects concerns the elimination of tire pre-heating systems even in the SRO series, what do you think?
“In GT2 we are already without the so-called ‘warmers’ and I am absolutely in favor of this choice because it makes everything more challenging and even spectacular, highlighting the qualities and abilities of the drivers. Furthermore, I am in favor of reducing the number of tires available, in particular in endurance races where I think you could do two or three stints with the same set of tyres; from a strategic point of view, changing them every hour is very limiting and the show is also affected because they are all in the same conditions”.
Have you already discussed it with the organizers?
“As a team, we were involved in sustainability meetings, where it was decided to reduce the use of plastic for water bottles by adopting water bottles and dispensers, but a set of tires pollutes much more. We need to reduce their impact if we want to be sustainable, it is a technical and political aspect that must be managed well”.
Is it a risk for gentlemen drivers to enter on cold tyres?
“In my opinion, no, you just need to train and adapt. In fact, the Bronze driver struggles more to exploit the new tyre, without being able to create the peak and make the difference, while with a more worn tire and low grip he is at ease. Today, with traction controls and ABS, the car is in a driveability window where even the rubber used does not have too much of an impact. On a technical level, it is possible to intervene by reducing the camber levels to reduce the risk of delamination, but I believe that the product supplied by Pirelli is more than valid and capable of supporting greater mileages than those we actually put together today”.
At the end of this first season, what would make you satisfied?
“Going to London to the SRO party and collecting the Team Champion award in the PRO/AM and AM categories, because I care a lot about the team result. It’s a fundamental aspect of LP Racing, when the drivers choose us they know that the attention it’s the same for all the cars. In 2023 we managed to get a hat-trick with the Audis in Portimao, it was the best weekend, in Misano there were victories and podiums with the Maserati, and the fastest laps with the Audi, a sign we’re looking for. to provide the best all-round, not just for one brand.”
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