Entry into the PRO class and the signing of the reigning European vice-champion. After five successful years in Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe, Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra unveiled a radical overhaul of its driver lineup. “For us, this is a step into the absolute elite of one-make racing worldwide,” says team manager Jiří Mičánek Jr.
Štefan Rosina – currently the most successful Slovak circuit racer and the reigning vice-champion of the GT2 European Series. This is the name that will now take a seat in the team’s Lamborghini Huracán ST EVO2 alongside Bronislav Formánek. “Signing Štofi was an absolute priority for me. As a driver, he’s one of the top professionals in Central Europe, and I’m confident he’ll fit into the team personally as well,” says team manager Jiří Mičánek Jr.
Štefan Rosina joins the team after three years with KTM. Last year, he claimed the European vice-champion title in the Pro-AM class with their factory team. He could have continued in that series but ultimately accepted Jiří Mičánek’s offer. “I like the professionalism with which Jirka approaches racing, his communication, and the overall dynamic of the team,” explains the 36-year-old Slovak driver on his decision to switch.
At the same time, his engagement in Lamborghini Super Trofeo presents a driving challenge. Compared to the GT2 series, he will face a much larger field, with fifty Huracáns listed in the provisional 2024 entry. One of the key areas the team will focus on is the Hankook tires. After last year’s production shortfall, the situation is expected to stabilise, providing sufficient tires. This is especially appreciated by Bronislav Formánek: “I need enough time to get used to the tires, and with the limited sets we had last year, that wasn’t possible. I believe this year will be better.”
For Rosina, joining Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra marks a return to the Lamborghini cockpit after ten years. In 2013, he raced a Lamborghini Gallardo in FIA GT, scoring two victories in the prestigious series. Two decades after starting his career with Bratislava’s ARC, “Štofi” will return to a “home” team where Czech and Slovak are spoken. “We expect the season to be extremely tough, mainly due to the very strong and large field of competitors. On the other hand, we know our place is regularly on the Pro-AM podium, and with Štefan and Broněk, we intend to show up there at every round,” says Jiří Mičánek.
In the team, Rosina replaced the professional Polish driver Karol Basz, who had raced alongside Formánek for one and a half seasons, achieving four victories and five podium finishes together. “We achieved great success with Karol, and I have to thank him for that year and a half,” says Jiří Mičánek.
Confirmed: The “juniors” are moving up to Super Trofeo to race among the professionals
A major change is coming for the second car as well. After a successful season in the FIA CEZ Central European Championship, where they claimed both the championship and runner-up titles, the junior duo Jáchym Galáš and Matěj Pavlíček will move up to Super Trofeo Europe. Former rivals, they will now be teammates, stepping into the elite PRO class. “When we started the junior program, we planned for both drivers to be ready for Super Trofeo within two years at the latest. Given their results, there was no reason to wait; they would have stagnated in the Central European zonal championship,” explains Jiří Mičánek.
For both drivers, returning “to Europe” will be a real challenge, with the biggest test being the sheer number of highly competitive rivals. “In qualifying, the top ten cars are covered by just one second, which will make it the most important session of every weekend. I also expect the series to be much more contact-heavy,” predicts Jáchym Galáš, who aims to leverage his experience from the European TCR touring car series in Super Trofeo. Pit stops, however, will be a completely new experience for him. Matěj Pavlíček is looking forward to the exciting selection of circuits. “These are fantastic world-class tracks. I don’t know some of them yet, but I’ve already practiced on the simulator, so that shouldn’t be a disadvantage,” he says. Both drivers are already preparing on simulators under the guidance of the team engineer and Josef Záruba, who also oversees their physical training.
The 2024 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe season will kick off in mid-April at Imola, where the team will also conduct its first pre-season tests. These tests are scheduled for the first week of March.
