• Lionspeed GP to race at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the first time
• Bashar Mardini and Bastian Buus look to continue Bronze Cup title bid
• Gabriel Rindone and Ricardo Feller aim to utilize recent Magny-Cours experience in search of first podium

Lionspeed GP is set to continue its GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS campaign on uncharted territory this weekend. The team will compete at Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours for the first time in its history as the Sprint Cup season enters a decisive phase.

First opened in 1960, the Magny-Cours circuit in central France hosts the penultimate round of the Sprint Cup season. The circuit is best known as the home ground of Formula 1’s French Grand Prix from 1991 to 2008, although both the World Sportscar Championship and FIA GT Championship have also raced there in the past. The 4.4-kilometer circuit made its debut on the Sprint Cup calendar in 2020 and, aside from a year’s absence in 2023, has featured on the schedule ever since.

Lionspeed will compete at Magny-Cours with its regular, two-car effort in the Bronze Cup category. Gabriel Rindone and Ricardo Feller share driving duties aboard the No. 80 Porsche 911 GT3 R, with Bashar Mardini and Bastian Buus back together behind the wheel of the sister No. 89 car.

Although the team has never visited Magny-Cours before, each of its four drivers have previous experience racing at the French venue. Rindone and Feller have both been part of earlier Sprint Cup events there, while Buus and Mardini both competed at Magny-Cours in Porsche Carrera Cup France in 2022 and 2023, respectively.

With just two weekends and four races remaining, the battle for the Bronze Cup title is entering a crucial phase. Thanks to their podium finish at Misano, Mardini and Buus remain firmly in title contention in the Bronze Cup standings. They hold second place in the drivers’ standings, with the gap to the leaders just seven points.

On the other side of the garage, Rindone and Feller have thus far endured a frustrating season. Over the past two weekends at Zandvoort and Misano, they have frequently displayed excellent pace, but poor fortunes prevented them from converting that into the results they deserve. At Magny-Cours, they will aim to score their first podium of the season. Feller has scored strongly at the circuit in the past, notably finishing second overall in 2021.

As is tradition with Sprint Cup weekends, Saturday and Sunday will feature a race each, both with a separate qualifying session. However, the opening 60-minute contest on Saturday comes with a twist: with a start time of 20:30, the race is set to finish under the cover of darkness. Sunday’s race, meanwhile, will start in the afternoon at 15:15. All races will be broadcast live on the GT World YouTube channel.