Now in its third edition, the GT3 Junior Program is one of the four main programs of Lamborghini Squadra Corse for young talents of motorsport. It is also one of the most significant, since its members have the opportunity to compete at the highest levels of racing professionalism behind the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3s fielded by customer teams.

For the 2017 edition, Lamborghini Squadra Corse has selected 23 young drivers, three more than last year. This is due to the fact that the number of Huracán GT3s participating in the various competitions is constantly increasing, thanks to the great success of the car designed and manufactured in Sant’Agata Bolognese: from the two cars fielded in 2015, their number then increased to 40 units in 2016 and in the current season over 50 Lamborghini GT3s will be taking part in 13 international GT championships.

The 2017 GT3 Junior Program includes some new entries who have climbed the pyramid of the youth programs of Lamborghini Squadra Corse: starting from the Young Drivers Program, the format for youngsters under 26 years of age racing in the Super Trofeo one-make series; the most deserving ones have gained access to the upper step, the GT3 Junior Program.

Just to name a few examples, we can mention the Dane Dennis Lind, 2016 European and World champion of the Super Trofeo in the PRO class and Andrea Fontana, the 20-year-old Italian 2016 world champion of the one-make series in the Pro-Am category. We can continue the list with the young Croat Martin Kodric, another protagonist during last season’s championship featuring Huracán Super Trofeos.

The presence in the program has also been reconfirmed for many drivers who distinguished themselves in the panorama of international GT competitions during the past season: from Andrea Amici and Edoardo Liberati,  2016 GT Asia Series champions, to Fabrizio Crestani, winner of the International GT Open title; from Michele Beretta, who triumphed in the Silver Cup of the Blancpain GT to Riccardo Agostini and Alberto Di Folco, who arrived third in the Italian GT Championship; not to mention the excellent results of the Dutchman Jeroen Mul or the third place of the American Madison Snow in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

« During the year 2016  – says Giorgio Sanna, – Head of Motorsport of Automobili Lamborghini –  Lamborghini took part in GT3 championships with customer teams for the first time and winning two international championship titles with Amici, Liberati and Crestani, Super Trofeo drivers and members of the GT3 Junior Program, demonstrates that the young driver program works and provides mutual opportunities both for drivers and our company. Besides sporting results, it should be emphasized how these young drivers have rapidly become valid ambassadors of our brand and part of the Lamborghini Accademia, thanks to the training program organized by the Lamborghini Squadra Corse staff.”

As members of the GT3 Junior Program, the drivers selected by Squadra Corse are entitled to carry out a series of activities involving them directly with the head quarter of Lamborghini. For example, they have the opportunity to be selected to become drivers/instructors of the Lamborghini Accademia, the official driving school open to all super sports car enthusiasts. After a series of training sessions on the product range, teaching techniques on track and behavioral concepts, the most suitable drivers are selected by Lamborghini Squadra Corse to work as instructors during Accademia events all over the world.

The drivers of the GT3 Junior Program, like the members of the Young Drivers Program, are also trained to become well-rounded professionals. Over the year, there are meeting sessions during which drivers are involved in the technical development of Huracán Super Trofeos and GT3s, including tests on track with technicians of Lamborghini Squadra Corse and Pirelli. Drivers are also assisted in terms of athletic and dietary preparation and instructed in the product range, communication and everything concerning the Lamborghini world, which enables them to become outright brand ambassadors.

The training program is implemented and improved year by year and one of the innovations of the year 2017 is the introduction of a new supervisor for the Young Drivers Program and GT3 Junior Program. The young drivers will be assisted on field by Raffaele Giammaria, Italian driver with a long experience both in GT competitions and in education as the Director of the ACI Sport Federal School. The task of Giammaria and his staff is to constantly monitor the drivers’ performance and activity and to provide them with the adequate tools for their professional improvement.

Below is the complete list of the drivers selected for the 2017 GT3 Junior Program of Lamborghini Squadra Corse