Lamborghini's Super Trofeo is an exciting racing series organised by the Italian marque's dedicated motorsport division - Squadra Corse. The racing events are held in Europe, North America, and Asia, with specialised racing versions of Lamborghini road-going models such as the Gallardo in the past and the Huracan currently.
After a three-year break due to the pandemic, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia series has returned with the third-generation Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, the EVO2, making its Asian debut in Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit.
We were invited to attend the thrilling race weekend and the VIP experience that the special guests get to enjoy at the race weekend, and trust me, it was a truly fun, exciting and enjoyable one! So, here's our experience.
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo Hospitality lounge
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo race series has a grid made up of a mix of professional race drivers along with gentlemen drivers The Super Trofeo race series is a customer racing programme, and as such the grid is made up of a mix of professional race drivers along with customers who want to enter the world of professional racing.
Despite being a serious race series with world class race direction and scrutineering, the Super Trofeo series doesn't neglect the aspiring up-and-coming young drivers, who are groomed and developed to be professional race drivers through its young drivers programme.
It is clear to see that apart from the serious, competitive side of the event, everyone involved in Lamborghini Super Trofeo shares a family-like relation.
The Super Trofeo Hospitality lounge offers a luxurious and comfortable environment This starts with the viewing gallery that was transformed into the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Hospitality lounge.
The luxurious and comfortable lounge had been prepared not just for the drivers to relax, but also for their guests and other VIPs to be hosted.
Gourmet cuisine including freshly made pizza and pasta by Italian chefs, along with plenty other dishes and desserts were served, allowing all guests to have a true Italian dining experience.
Gourmet Italian cuisine is served to the guests for an authentic experience Guests also have an opportunity to mingle with and get to know the drivers, members of the race teams, along with Lamborghini and Squadra Corse's key personnel at the Hospitality lounge.
Instead of a tense atmosphere that one might expect from a professional race event, you'll notice sights of casual, delightful conversations taking place with a homely atmosphere at the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Hospitality lounge.
Getting up close to learn about the racing machines
A garage tour led by Jon Flinn gave us some interesting insights to the world of the Super Trofeo race cars As part of the experience, we were invited to a garage tour with Jon Flinn, Motorsport Coordinator at Lamborghini Asia Pacific, and Andre Couto, head coach of the race to find out some interesting facts about the race cars.
The garage tour gave us an intriguing glimpse into the world of the Super Trofeo race, which would surely be an enjoyable and educational experience for most guests.
Before we even made it into the pits, we saw multiple sets of wheels and tyres sitting out in the open.
With tyre warmers disallowed, the teams put their tyres out in the sun to warm them up Jon explained that the tyres were put out in the sun to be warmed for optimal performance as the use of tyre warmers aren't allowed due to the race regulations.
Inside, we got a tour of the area and explanations on other equipment used during the race, such as the gravity-fed speed refuelling cans.
While we were taking a closer look at the carbon fibre clad race cars, Andre chipped in to let us in on the interesting fact that some of the cars are equipped with an 'air-con system'. Unlike road car air-conditioning systems, this cooling system pipes cold air into the helmet of the drivers to keep them sharp and focused.
With the race starting soon, we were ushered out of the pits and were to proceed to our next activity - the grid walk.
The heat of competition is turning on!
It is easy to be overwhelmed by excitement at the starting grid Walking out onto the starting grid, you can truly sense the excitement in the atmosphere.
With the cars lined up in their positions, the teams are making the final checks on the cars while we all took the opportunity to soak in the moment, and take photos of (and with) the stunning race cars.
Being invited as media guest gave us an additional perk - vehicles were chartered to bring us out to the various vantage points in the service road for photo and video opportunities.
Weather conditions and the high performance race cars resulted in a really close and exciting race Despite having been to Sepang Circuit on multiple occasions, this was the first time that I had access to these locations and gotten so close to the action. There were even occasions where overzealous drivers spun out due to the wet conditions of the track. Exciting!
And if you prefer to have a complete view of the race in comfort, there are multiple TV screens in the Hospitality lounge, and the entire race coverage is also livestreamed to YouTube, there's no reason to miss the action!
Getting our burning questions answered
We had the opportunity to have a chat with key personnel at Lamborghini and Squadra Corse Another special perk that being invited as media granted us was an opportunity to find out more about Lamborghini and Squadra Corse through a chat with Francesco Scardaoni, Region Director Automobili Lamborghini Asia Pacific, and Giorgio Sanna, Head of Motorsport Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
The burning question I had was how much it would cost for a driver to enter the Lamborghini Super Trofeo race. The answer from Giorgio was an average of 300,000 euros ($436,402.50) for a single driver to participate in the entire season of Super Trofeo, and two drivers can share an entry to cut the cost in half as well.
While it is a sizeable amount, the cost is actually a reasonable one as the drivers simply have to arrive and drive - all other matters, including the logistics of the race events, the repairs and maintenance of the car and all the nitty gritty details are handled by Squadra Corse and the race teams.
The cars, logistics and other matters are all handled by Squadra Corse and the race teams - drivers will only have to focus on driving As such, Squadra Corse places a focus on keeping the costs down, and will not be experimenting with hybrid powertrains any time soon, and is also cautious about the costs involved to switch to synthetic fuels.
We also understand from Giorgio that Super Trofeo, being organised by Lamborghini, is the best platform to develop technology that can be transferred to the brand's road-going cars as the race series do not have to operate within the strict confines of regulations set by a governing body. For example, the Huracan STO was possible due to the result of Squadra Corse's work on the Super Trofeo race car.
Lamborghini's electrification road plan was shared with us On the road car side of business, Francesco shared the brand's electrification road plan with us. Lamborghini will hybridise the Huracan and Urus in 2024 and eventually introduce a new fully-electric 2+2 seater.
Lamborghini plans on having an electrified lineup by 2025, and it will do so while sustaining the emotional driving experience that is synonymous with the brand. As such, it will work to ensure that even with a fully electric Lamborghini, the one sitting behind the wheel will instantly know what he is driving.
Oh, Francesco also let us in on a little secret - some very special cars will be introduced at the upcoming Lamborghini 60th Anniversary Giro tour in Italy.
The VIP experience at Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia
So, here are what the guests of Lamborghini Super Trofeo race weekends get to enjoy - authentic Italian food, exciting race events, educational information on the racecars, a close look at the incredible machine, and a luxurious yet homely and humble experience.
Given the opportunity, I'll be sure to attend the next race!
After a three-year break due to the pandemic, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia series has returned with the third-generation Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, the EVO2, making its Asian debut in Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit.
We were invited to attend the thrilling race weekend and the VIP experience that the special guests get to enjoy at the race weekend, and trust me, it was a truly fun, exciting and enjoyable one! So, here's our experience.
The Lamborghini Super Trofeo Hospitality lounge
Despite being a serious race series with world class race direction and scrutineering, the Super Trofeo series doesn't neglect the aspiring up-and-coming young drivers, who are groomed and developed to be professional race drivers through its young drivers programme.
It is clear to see that apart from the serious, competitive side of the event, everyone involved in Lamborghini Super Trofeo shares a family-like relation.
The luxurious and comfortable lounge had been prepared not just for the drivers to relax, but also for their guests and other VIPs to be hosted.
Gourmet cuisine including freshly made pizza and pasta by Italian chefs, along with plenty other dishes and desserts were served, allowing all guests to have a true Italian dining experience.
Instead of a tense atmosphere that one might expect from a professional race event, you'll notice sights of casual, delightful conversations taking place with a homely atmosphere at the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Hospitality lounge.
Getting up close to learn about the racing machines
The garage tour gave us an intriguing glimpse into the world of the Super Trofeo race, which would surely be an enjoyable and educational experience for most guests.
Before we even made it into the pits, we saw multiple sets of wheels and tyres sitting out in the open.
Inside, we got a tour of the area and explanations on other equipment used during the race, such as the gravity-fed speed refuelling cans.
While we were taking a closer look at the carbon fibre clad race cars, Andre chipped in to let us in on the interesting fact that some of the cars are equipped with an 'air-con system'. Unlike road car air-conditioning systems, this cooling system pipes cold air into the helmet of the drivers to keep them sharp and focused.
With the race starting soon, we were ushered out of the pits and were to proceed to our next activity - the grid walk.
The heat of competition is turning on!
With the cars lined up in their positions, the teams are making the final checks on the cars while we all took the opportunity to soak in the moment, and take photos of (and with) the stunning race cars.
Being invited as media guest gave us an additional perk - vehicles were chartered to bring us out to the various vantage points in the service road for photo and video opportunities.
And if you prefer to have a complete view of the race in comfort, there are multiple TV screens in the Hospitality lounge, and the entire race coverage is also livestreamed to YouTube, there's no reason to miss the action!
Getting our burning questions answered
The burning question I had was how much it would cost for a driver to enter the Lamborghini Super Trofeo race. The answer from Giorgio was an average of 300,000 euros ($436,402.50) for a single driver to participate in the entire season of Super Trofeo, and two drivers can share an entry to cut the cost in half as well.
While it is a sizeable amount, the cost is actually a reasonable one as the drivers simply have to arrive and drive - all other matters, including the logistics of the race events, the repairs and maintenance of the car and all the nitty gritty details are handled by Squadra Corse and the race teams.
We also understand from Giorgio that Super Trofeo, being organised by Lamborghini, is the best platform to develop technology that can be transferred to the brand's road-going cars as the race series do not have to operate within the strict confines of regulations set by a governing body. For example, the Huracan STO was possible due to the result of Squadra Corse's work on the Super Trofeo race car.
Lamborghini plans on having an electrified lineup by 2025, and it will do so while sustaining the emotional driving experience that is synonymous with the brand. As such, it will work to ensure that even with a fully electric Lamborghini, the one sitting behind the wheel will instantly know what he is driving.
Oh, Francesco also let us in on a little secret - some very special cars will be introduced at the upcoming Lamborghini 60th Anniversary Giro tour in Italy.
The VIP experience at Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia
So, here are what the guests of Lamborghini Super Trofeo race weekends get to enjoy - authentic Italian food, exciting race events, educational information on the racecars, a close look at the incredible machine, and a luxurious yet homely and humble experience.
Given the opportunity, I'll be sure to attend the next race!
