NEWS

Until the rise in prominence of endurance racing, it used to be the case that young drivers had one goal, and one goal only: Formula One.

For many, that dream is still the one that lights the flame as it were, but there’s a new crop of talent that sees motorsport in a completely different way.

One of those drivers is Frenchman Paul Levet.

Unlike many of his contemporaries, Levet ‘never did a go-kart race in my life’ and only began his racing career in 2021. For him, endurance was the only path he wanted to follow, starting in the Lamera Cup in France before rapidly climbing the sportscar and GT ranks.

“I have always been fascinated by endurance racing,” Levet says. “Nobody in my family raced before, but we used to go to Le Mans for the 24 Hours every year since 2015, just as a visitor with my father.

“Year after year, I fell more and more in love with this sport, and specifically endurance racing and Le Mans. I never raced go-karts in my life, never did a single race; I started in a small endurance series in France, in 2021. The car was quite powerful with 330hp, but it had road tires! So, I have only raced with slick tyres since 2024.

“We were three to four in a car, so already for me it was a basis on learning how to share a car with other team-mates and that is all that I have done since. I don’t know what it’s like not to share a car!

“I am very used to adapting my setup, driving positions, it’s all quite natural for me because I know that this is what endurance racing is all about.”

A few races followed by a full season in 2023 in Lamera Cup turned out to be the ideal proving ground for Levet who, for 2024, moved up to Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe, competing in the Pro category alongside László Tóth at Oregon Team.

“It was a big step to go from Lamera Cup to Super Trofeo. The people around me thought I was ready for the challenge.” Levet said.

“It was a challenging season from a collective point of view. From a personal point of view, I was proud of my performance, pushing the car to its maximum all year and understanding how a real race car works setup wise essentially.

“It was my first time in a professional team and environment but only my third real season in motorsport.”

While the results did not necessarily come during the maiden campaign – against a field of 20 other cars in the Pro class and a record grid of 52 cars – the sophomore season in 2025 brought a change of scenery and a change in fortunes for Levet.

A move to Vincenzo Sospiri’s eponymous VSR team as partner to Malaysian rookie Adam Putera gave Levet a new lease of life and, with a year’s experience in the Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2, a shot at the title.

“I felt immediately at home with the team, from the first test,” explains Levet. “It was an unbelievable season. We could fight every race for the win. Missing the Nürburgring round because of budget was very tough. I knew that we had a great pace and I wanted to win the title with Adam.

“We had a fantastic Monza and Spa weekends so there was a lot of momentum with us, but sometimes you must continue to work hard toward the opportunities that lie ahead. Thankfully, Vincenzo wanted to put me back in the car for the final two rounds to help Adam win the title, and we absolutely delivered in these two final decisive weekends

“For me, it was proof that all the work that I put in, and all of the work I continue to put in, counted in the end. Every day of my life is guided by this intensive, performance-focused training between sports, mental prep and technique among others”

The breakthrough victory in race two at Monza was in some ways a perfect summary of Levet’s season. Having failed to set a time in practice due to a technical problem, he bounced back by taking pole for the opening race with a six tenths margin and three purple sectors.

Despite gremlins reappearing, Levet and Putera salvaged a top six finish before bouncing back in style on Sunday. A double podium at Spa and a clean sweep of victories at Barcelona set Putera up for the Pro title at Misano, which he duly claimed over Oregon Team’s Enzo Geraci and Josef Knopp.

Having dedicated his young career to date to endurance racing, Levet has also benefited from being part of the Lamborghini Young Driver Program for the past two years. This experience played a key role in securing promotion to the GT3 ranks, contesting the Italian GT Championship Sprint Cup campaign with VSR.

“It is incredible how quickly things can happen,” reflects Levet. “Two years ago, I was watching GT3 like it is completely out of reach, especially budget wise, and now I am racing a GT3 thanks to VSR.

“During the off-season, I was in contact with many teams, especially after this strong season in Super Trofeo, but it was always common sense for me to continue with VSR. The programme that I have right now – combining a Pro-Am season in Super Trofeo with Italian GT – is the best I could dream of.

“Before the season started, I had never driven more than 20 laps in the GT3, so the expectations were difficult to set. The level is so intense in Italian GT this year, there are many factory drivers and a lot of experienced drivers, so I am just here to learn as much as possible and show my speed.

“The key will be learning how to adapt my driving style to the GT3 car. There are a lot of differences between the GT3 and the Super Trofeo. What is true for the Super Trofeo is not necessarily true for the GT3. Tyres are different as well and also tracks I have never raced on such as Mugello will be a challenge.

“Every experience this year will be a great step for my young journey so far in motorsport. My motto is always to give the maximum I can by extracting 100% of the performance of the car. I am so grateful for everything happening to me this year that there is no pressure!”