One race, two wins. Mičánek Motorsport powered by Buggyra made history in a chaotic Barcelona weekend, winning both Pro-Am and AM in the only race held. Extreme weather forced the cancellation of the second race, making every point even more valuable in the fight for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe titles.
“This was perhaps the most important race weekend of the season for us. Of course I’m delighted with the double victory, but the points we’re taking home are even more valuable. Especially in Pro-Am, I hope we’ve taken a crucial step towards the title,” says team manager Jiří Mičánek Jr., reflecting on the weekend.
The only race held in Barcelona was affected by a major multi-car accident immediately after the start. Cars from the ASR and VSR teams were also caught up in the collision, including crews directly competing with Bronislav Formánek and Anthony Pretorius for the Pro-Am title.
They leave Barcelona with no points, while Mičánek Motorsport collected 15 for the victory. The team now holds a 24-point advantage over its closest rivals ahead of Monza. “We’re waiting for a decision on whether the cancelled Barcelona race will be replaced at Monza. If it is, we still have three races ahead of us and 45 points available. So we definitely haven’t won anything yet, but on the other hand, we can be a little calmer,” says Mičánek.
Jakub Knoll and Renaud Kuppens also finished first in the AM class, extending their championship lead to 15 points.
Both cars made the most of a crazy race featuring several collisions and two safety-car periods. The first accident happened immediately after the start, just behind Anthony Pretorius. The South African jumped from eighth to fourth in the opening moments, avoiding the four-car collision that unfolded right behind him. “Honestly, I didn’t see it at all. I was focused on what was happening in front of me,” says Pretorius. Once the marshals had cleared the track and the safety car returned to the pits, Pretorius fought for second to fourth in Pro-Am while trying to attack Jonathan Cecotto. “In Barcelona, it’s very difficult to stay close to the car ahead and overtake. It was a little frustrating that I couldn’t get past him easily,” explains Pretorius.
Right at the start of the second stint, Bronislav Formánek managed to avoid a collision with a rival who made a mistake under braking and came close to taking out the Huracán in Czech national colours. Formánek ultimately benefited from the dangerous situation and moved into the Pro-Am lead. He held the position until the final lap, when rival Pietro Perolini passed him with a move right on the edge of the rules. “He overtook me off the track and then pushed me out hard,” says Formánek, describing the dramatic final lap. By then, however, his engineer had already informed him that Perolini had received a one-second penalty for a short pit stop. “There was no point fighting in that situation, risking an accident and losing crucial points. The goal was to finish within one second of Perolini and, above all, to bring the car home safely,” explains Formánek.
Jakub Knoll also benefited from the opening-lap accident. He safely threaded his way through the cars scattered across the circuit and gained eight positions after the start. “I spent most of the stint behind the safety car. I only did three laps under green,” says Knoll with a shrug after the race. He handed the car over to Kuppens in third place in the AM class. The safety car was deployed again during the second stint, and when it returned to the pits, Kuppens took advantage of the situation to fight his way into the class lead while also challenging for a place inside the overall top ten. “I could see that the cars ahead of me were struggling with their tyres and that I could get past them, but I was focused on the championship, so I preferred not to get involved in those battles,” explains Kuppens, who eventually crossed the line in eleventh place overall.
In two weeks, the team heads to Monza for the final round of the season, followed by the World Final, where the best drivers from all three continental Lamborghini Super Trofeo series will go head-to-head.
