After ten seasons of “loyalty” to the Lamborghini brand, the drivers of the Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra team finally tried out the competition. Bronislav Formánek and Josef Záruba tested a McLaren 570S. They headed to the Vallelunga circuit at the invitation of Giorgio Sanna, the former head of Lamborghini’s racing program.
“Giorgio and I stay in regular contact, and I knew he was heading to McLaren. When he offered us the chance to test a rival cup car from the British brand, it was impossible to turn down such an offer,” says team manager Jiří Mičánek. He travelled to Vallelunga with Broňek Formánek and Josef Záruba straight from Misano, where the team had just competed in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final.
Both drivers had the opportunity to spend half a day with the team of the brand that currently dominates Formula 1. Each of them completed more than twenty test laps at the Vallelunga circuit in the McLaren 570S — the car used in the McLaren 570S Trophy, a series that directly competes with Lamborghini Super Trofeo, where Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra has been active since 2018.
“It was a very interesting experience for us, and we see the McLaren one-make series as an intriguing alternative to Lamborghini Super Trofeo. We discussed in detail with Giorgio Sanna right at the circuit the possibilities of taking part in this championship. McLaren is currently the most successful brand in F1, and that touch of the most prestigious tier of motorsport is reflected in their GT cars as well,” added Jiří Mičánek.
The McLaren 570S is a super-sports racing car that unlike most of its competitors in the GT category features a carbon monocoque. It is powered by a twin-turbo 3.8-litre V8 producing 530 horsepower. On paper, the car therefore has similar parameters to the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, for which the 2026 season will be the last before it is replaced by the new model, the Temerario.
“The McLaren is a very pleasant car that’s easier to drive than the Huracán. You can basically jump in and immediately be quick. For us, who are used to a naturally aspirated engine, the turbo effect and the throttle-by-wire setup are quite specific. There’s more electronic intervention,” describes his first impressions from driving the McLaren Bronislav Formánek, who this year secured the GT2 European Series European title for Lamborghini together with Štefan Rosina.
“In terms of philosophy, the McLaren is a different kind of car than the Lamborghini — it’s more focused on gentleman drivers. For me, it was a great experience also from the perspective of how the team operates. It was nice to meet Giorgio Sanna and observe the work of the British engineers, who in some areas have a different approach from what we know at Lamborghini,” says Josef Záruba, who races the Lamborghini Huracán ST EVO2 in the Central European circuit series and was also getting used to the Vallelunga track, where he drove for the first time.
“The McLaren 570S Trophy series has been on the rise in recent years, and it is precisely Giorgio Sanna, the man behind the success of Lamborghini Super Trofeo who is expected to further strengthen its position among the world’s most prestigious one-make cup series, now additionally backed by a brand currently dominating Formula 1. I believe Giorgio will succeed in taking this series to an even higher level, and for us, it is certainly one of the possible paths we may follow in the future,” outlined Jiří Mičánek.
The team principal himself didn’t get behind the wheel of the McLaren at Vallelunga, but his season as a driver isn’t over yet. Immediately after returning from Misano and wrapping up the Lamborghini Super Trofeo season, the team will head to Sosnová with the Huracán for the traditional Masters Meeting taking place that weekend an exhibition race where drivers from across motorsport disciplines, from rally to circuit racing and hill climbs, compete on the same track. “It will be a symbolic full stop to a season we closed with two titles,” concludes Jiří Mičánek.
