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Young Driver Programme Shootout
New Zealand racing driver Liam Sceats has earned an invitation to Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s 2026 Young Driver Programme shootout at Vallelunga later this week, concluding his rookie GT campaign as the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Pro runner-up. The 21-year-old Auckland native is among seven finalists selected for the two-day evaluation near Rome, emerging from a pool of nearly 50 candidates evaluated by the Italian marque since the start of the year. At stake during the track session is an opportunity to secure manufacturer support and further advancement within Lamborghini’s motorsport programme for 2027.
Super Trofeo Asia Title Contention
Sceats joined the development scheme during his first campaign in sports car competition, partnering Polish driver Gustaw Wisniewski in a VSR Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2. The pairing mounted a determined title challenge in the Asian series after facing a 25-point deficit at the championship's midway mark. Entering the final round at Monza six points adrift, they claimed pole position and captured victory in the opening race to narrow the gap to a solitary point. A wet and unpredictable decider yielded third place, leaving the crew second in the Pro standings by three points despite collecting four wins across the season. Sceats noted that the squad “threw everything at it” and expressed pride in their collective recovery during his maiden GT season.
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World Finals Incident and Recovery
Action resumed immediately at Monza for the Lamborghini World Finals, gathering 104 drivers and 65 cars across Asian, European, and North American divisions in front of 35,000 spectators. Sceats and Wisniewski narrowly missed the podium in the opening encounter, finishing fourth by approximately two-tenths of a second. In the final race, Sceats suffered an opening-lap rear collision that left him an unavoidable passenger and inflicted an estimated NZ$20,000 of damage to the rear diffuser. The vehicle remained driveable, allowing him to climb from sixth to third before a rapid driver change briefly handed the car the lead, culminating in a second-place finish.
Top Rookie Honours and Next Steps
Those combined performances placed the VSR duo fourth in the final World Finals Pro classification, finishing one point short of the overall podium. On his debut appearance at the international event, Sceats concluded the meeting as the highest-placed newcomer and top Lamborghini Junior Driver. Looking ahead to the evaluation at Vallelunga, the Kiwi driver indicated his focus is on exhibiting speed, collaboration with the team, and readiness for the manufacturer's next level.
Single-Seater Background and Career Goals
The 2024 New Zealand Grand Prix winner transitioned into GT racing after competing in Formula Regional championships across New Zealand and Japan, alongside experience on the Road to INDY pathway in the United States. Sceats is targeting a sustainable professional career in GT3 and endurance categories, with the long-term ambition of representing a manufacturer at prestigious endurance contests including the 24 Hours of Le Mans, backed by supporters and commercial partners from New Zealand.
