Posted by Shereen Shabnam
Maserati Corse delivered a strong showing on home soil at Misano, securing a victory and three class podium finishes while offering fans a glimpse of the Trident’s expanding racing ambitions with the new Project GT4.
There was no shortage of action for Maserati at the third round of the 2026 GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli. Racing at Misano in the heart of Italy’s Motor Valley, the Trident emerged from a demanding weekend with one class victory and three additional podium finishes across the two races.
Beyond the results, Misano produced several memorable moments for the marque, including a father and son competing on track at the same time, a milestone for female representation in Maserati motorsport and plenty of attention surrounding the recently revealed Maserati Project GT4.
Saturday drama at Misano
Race 1 proved particularly eventful. Célia Martin and Luca Pirri of LP Racing initially crossed the line first overall after an impressive drive, only for their Maserati GT2 to be disqualified following post-race technical checks.
That promoted LP Racing’s Philippe Prette to victory in the Masters category and fourth overall. Thomas Yu Lee and Niccolò Pirri added another strong result for Maserati, finishing third in Pro-Am and fifth overall.
The race also saw Martin deliver an impressive stint after starting sixth. She worked her way through the field before handing the car to Luca Pirri for a dramatic final phase of the race.
There was disappointment for Potty in the number 6 Maserati GT2. Having started from pole and regained the lead, the Belgian driver lost control and hit the barriers, bringing his race to an early end. Fortunately, he escaped without serious consequences.
A historic podium for Célia Martin
Sunday brought another significant chapter for Maserati.
Célia Martin and Luca Pirri finished sixth overall and second in the Masters class, making Martin the first woman to stand on the podium at the wheel of a Maserati GT2. It added a historic dimension to a weekend that was already special for the Pirri family, with father Luca and son Niccolò both competing on track in Maserati machinery.
In Pro-Am, Dinamic Motorsport’s Mauro Calamia and Roberto Pampanini secured second place in class. Calamia produced one of the standout performances of Race 2, climbing an impressive 13 positions to reach second overall during the opening half of the race.
Maserati Project GT4, also recently unveiled at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, made its presence felt among the Italian motorsport crowd as the brand looks towards the next stage of its customer racing programme.
Scheduled to expand Maserati’s involvement in GT racing from 2028, Project GT4 will complement the GT2 programme and broaden the opportunities available to customer teams and drivers.
Vincent Biard, Head of Maserati Corse, described GT2 as a strategic platform for the marque, highlighting its role in demonstrating performance and enabling technology developed in competition to influence Maserati’s road cars.
That track-to-road connection is especially relevant as Maserati continues to blur the boundaries between its competition machinery and high-performance production models.
The brand is also serving as official car supplier to the GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS for the second consecutive year, with the Maserati GT2 Stradale acting as Safety Car and MCPURA taking the Leading Car role.
Racing forward
Misano may have been complicated, but it ultimately demonstrated the breadth of Maserati’s current motorsport programme: competitive GT2 machinery, customer racing, emerging talent and a new GT4 project waiting in the wings.
For fans of the Trident, perhaps the more interesting story is what happens next. Maserati is not simply celebrating its racing heritage; it is continuing to build on it.
The 2026 GT2 European Series heads next to Zandvoort on 19–20 September, followed by the season finale at Portimão on 17–18 October
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