52 cars on track – a figure that cements Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe as the most prestigious and highly contested championship on the continent. This weekend at Imola, two cars from Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra will take to the grid, fielding two driver line-ups: Bronislav Formánek with Štefan Rosina, and the junior pairing of Jáchym Galáš and Matěj Pavlíček.
„We’ve covered a lot of kilometres and poured a great deal of energy and time into testing. We wanted both driver line-ups to have the opportunity to get familiar with each other and find a setup that suits the cars,” explains team manager Jiří Mičánek jr.
He also praises the team atmosphere. “There’s a strong sense of synergy among the drivers, partly because they are close in age, and it’s also an advantage that we don’t have a language barrier,” Jiří Mičánek notes, highlighting that the driver line-up is entirely Czech and Slovak.
For Super Trofeo, the team is fielding the junior driver duo Galáš and Pavlíček, who dominated the ESET Cup last year, while the team’s stalwart Formánek is joined by the highly experienced Slovak driver Štefan Rosina. “I see myself as the more senior member of the team, so part of my role is to pass on my experience to the other drivers. I adapted to the car very quickly — we covered a lot of kilometers in just four days of testing — but I still have plenty to learn,” says the 36-year-old driver.
Bronislav Formánek also praises his collaboration with Rosina. “Štofi’s driving style suits me, he’s able to help me in many areas, and I’m gaining more experience thanks to him. I believe we can be quick,” he says, noting that while Imola suits him, he still respects the track after a testing crash two years ago. “Our goal is to fight for a podium.”
For last year’s junior champions of the Central European FIA CEZ series, Jáchym Galáš and Matěj Pavlíček, their debut at Imola will mainly be a test of how they handle the heavy traffic on track and the extremely tight competition. “Qualifying will be key; it will decide the races. At Imola, this is even more true—the track is quite narrow, and overtaking will be difficult,” notes Galáš, who dominated last year’s Central European championship. Pre-season testing also gave both drivers their first experience with Hankook tyres. “I was surprised—compared to Michelin, which we’re used to, it’s not such a big difference. The biggest factor is tyre life, which will really show at the end of the second stint,” says Matěj Pavlíček. “I’m excited, but also feeling a healthy dose of nerves,” he adds.
Team manager Jiří Mičánek also recognises the importance of qualifying. Compared to last year, the organisers have made a significant change to the format due to the number of cars on track – while there will be less time overall for qualifying, the PRO and PRO-AM categories, which include both Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra crews, will now run separately. “This reduces the risk of being held up by another car on a fast lap,” explains Jiří Mičánek.
The six-round series kicks off with two races at Imola on Saturday, 20 April, and Sunday, 21 April.
