Marzio Moretti and Ugo de Wilde have been announced as the stand-out drivers from Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s end-of-year Super Trofeo Junior Drivers shootout, with both earning a factory supported international GT3 drive for the 2024 season.
Reserved for drivers competing in the one-make Lamborghini Super Trofeo category and aged between 19 and 26, the Super Trofeo Junior Drivers program shootout brought together eight of the best performers from the 2023 campaign to be assessed at Vallelunga between November 20-21.
Of the eight drivers, Moretti and de Wilde could not be separated by the panel of judges over the two days, with both coming out on top after showing astonishing performances in the shootout. The pair will therefore graduate to a GT3 race program next year, as will Amaury Bonduel, who is rewarded for his victory in the season-concluding Lamborghini World Finals and strong shootout showing last month.
Over the course of this year, a total of 45 drivers in Young Driver Programs (26 Super Trofeo Junior Drivers and 19 GT3 Junior Drivers programs members) were assessed by Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s technical staff, headed up by Young Driver programs leader and former racer Raffaele Giammaria.
Recently announced Lamborghini Factory Driver Loris Spinelli won the GT3 Junior Drivers shootout, while Super Trofeo Europe title protagonists Brendon Leitch and Mattia Michelotto were both rewarded with promotion to Lamborghini Young Professional Driver status, alongside the retained Daniel Formal.
Spinelli will contest the full IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship campaign with Forte Racing next season, with Formal doing likewise with Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti Autosport. A seasoned GT3 competitor already, Leitch will again represent the Sant’Agata Bolognese firm on the international stage for Leipert Motorsport, with his 2024 program to be confirmed at a later date. Michelotto, meanwhile, will return to the Italian GT Championship with VS Racing as well as Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe.
Both Moretti and de Wilde have been at the forefront of Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe competition over the past two seasons and will aim to make their mark in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 next year. Having cut his teeth in single seater and prototype racing, de Wilde enjoyed a promising maiden season in Super Trofeo, achieving several podium finishes and a first victory at Vallelunga en route to sixth in the final standings. Moretti entered his second campaign as a title contender and remained in the hunt right up until the final round, finishing third in the points. World Finals winner Bonduel was equally as impressive in 2024, especially in qualifying where he took four pole positions as well as three podiums.
At 19-years-old, Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Pro champion Marco Giltrap (New Zealand) was the youngest driver among the eight to take part in the Vallelunga shootout. Joining the Kiwi in Italy were Oliver Söderström (Sweden), Gilles Stadsbader (Belgium) and Rodrigo Testa (Portugal), all representing Super Trofeo Europe, while Jake Walker (United States) was the sole Super Trofeo North America participant.
Taking part in the GT3 Junior Drivers shootout alongside Spinelli, Leitch, and Michelotto were GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Silver Cup champions Benjamin Hites and Glenn van Berlo, VS Racing’s Italian GT Championship drivers Marcus Påverud and Riccardo Cazzaniga and Frenchman Pierre-Louis Chovet.
