Lionspeed GP has confirmed the driver line-up for its maiden season in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup.
The German outfit had a single entry on last month’s entry list, but the team has since added a second Porsche 911 GT3.R (992). Both cars will compete in the Bronze Cup.
The #80 features two of the drivers who will also drive for Lionspeed in the Endurance Cup, Gabriel Rindone and 2023 Sprint Cup champion Ricardo Feller.
The #89 will be driven by Sprint Cup newcomers Bastian Buus and Bashar Mardini.
Porsche-contracted Buus drove for Lionspeed in the Endurance Cup last season, helping the team to a podium finish at the Nürburgring.
Mardini made his debut with Lionspeed at December’s Gulf 12 Hours, and is entering his second full season of GT3 racing, having contested GT Open with Car Collection Motorsport last year.
By entering the Bronze Cup in both Sprint and Endurance, Lionspeed GP is eligible to compete for an automatic invitation to the 2026 24 hours of Le Mans, adding an extra incentive for the team this season.
“Entering GT World Challenge Sprint next to our endurance program is the natural next step after our successful maiden season with SRO in 2024 as an independent team,” said team principal Kolb.
“Especially with our teams’ focus on the highly competitive Bronze Cup, adding the Sprint enables us as the only Porsche Team to compete for the highly desirable Le Mans entry for 2026. We not only have strong bronze drivers with Gabi and Bash, but also are excited to have two Sprint-experienced Porsche contracted drivers with Ricardo and Bastian.”
“I’m very excited to be back with the team again for another year,” commented Buus.
“It was great last year; always nice to be back with the same nice people again and continue where we finished off in 2024. I think we had great development, and it’s nice that we can build on that.
“Racing with Bashar, whom I know from my previous time in Porsche Carrera Cup and the Porsche Supercup. We were competitors back then, and it’s nice to be in the same car together. I’m sure we’ll be able to score some good results, make good progress during the year and hopefully fight at the front.”
“We have one eye on the Le Mans ticket,” added Feller.
“The goal, for sure, is to win the combined Sprint and Endurance Bronze Championship and thereby get the invitation.”
The 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup begins at Brands Hatch on 3/4 May, but due to restricted paddock space at the British venue, the Bronze Cup will miss this round. The class, and therefore Lionspeed GP, will begin their season at Circuit Zandvoort on 16-18 May.
Image courtesy of Lionspeed
