About

Lotus Cup Europe is firmly established as one of the continent’s strongest single-marque championships. Originally set up by Lotus as a direct response to customer and dealer interest for a fun but professionally run series, it has attracted competitors from across the continent.

Lotus Cup Europe was granted FIA International Series status in 2013, similar to prestigious Championships such as DTM, GT World Series & European Le Mans Series.

The championship is open to a wide range of cars from the Elise through to the current Emira GT4, with entries being split into five groups: GT Cup, Exige Cup, 211O, Open and Production.

Championship points are scored according to group position. This means that drivers from all groups have a chance of competing for the overall title. Current champion Tamás Vizin won from the Exige V6 ranks last year whilst Robbe Janssens was runner up from the Production group with Giacomo Giubergia fourth in his 211O car and Wolfgang Henseler fifth in his GTC group Emira GT4. The 2024 season also saw six different nationalities represented in the top six positions overall.

In 2025, 14 races will be held across 7 events. Race weekends feature free practice followed by qualifying. Most rounds then feature two races incorporating rolling and standing starts. At Spa-Francorchamps there will be a 50-minute pit stop race, while Anneau du Rhin sees a brace of sprint races followed by a 50-minute pit stop race as well.

The vast majority of events have been broadcast either as part of an exclusive programme or via live streaming over the last ten years, something that will continue in 2025. The championship enjoys unrivalled support from the Lotus community, with many owners and enthusiasts attending events. This is backed up by social media activity, where 60,000 Facebook & Instagram followers gave the Lotus Cup Europe pages over 1 million views and 50,000 likes in 2024.

The championship is open to drivers at all levels of experience, provided that they hold an International D licence or higher. Whilst the series has grown hugely since its inception over a decade ago, the emphasis has firmly remained as a fun and social environment in which to compete.

2025 Calendar:
28-30 March	Mugello
11-13 April	Hockenheim
30-31 May	Spa-Francorchamps
27-29 June	Nürburgring GP
11-13 July	Magny-Cours
12-14 September	Anneau du Rhin
3-5 October	Dijon-Prenois

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- General enquiries: Paul Golding [email protected]
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  Press: Elise Golding [email protected]

Hungarian Vizin crowned Lotus Cup Europe champion for a third time at Dijon Prenois

Tuesday 15 October 2024

Tamás Vizin was crowned Lotus Cup Europe champion for a third time at the 2024 season finale in France last weekend, 4th-6th October, as the championship once again supported the wonderful Dijon Motors Cup. Once again, the overall and class championships would go down to the final races with multiple Grand Prix winner René Arnoux on hand to present the awards on a circuit that he graced with in one of the most famous F1 races of all time.

Vizin started what would end up being the perfect weekend for the Hungarian with a perfect lap in qualifying, a second ahead of his closest V6 championship rivel Luxembourg’s Paul Maréchal. In the overall standings it was Production’s Robbe Janssens who was in the best position to take advantage of any slip up by Vizin. The Belgium just snatching pole from the UK’s Mick Edwards who had taken pole last time out at Anneau du Rhin only to miss both races with illness. Over in the 211/Open class the championship was wide open with Italian Champion Giacomo Giubergia, in his Elise Cup PBR taking an unexpected lead in the standings coming into Dijon just a handful of points ahead of Nathalie Genoud-Prachex and husband Jean Pierre Genoud-Prachex, the French couple in their famous 2 Elevens. Although it would have been a huge shock Luxembourg’s Patrick Reiles was also in with a shout of the class title. Qualifying went the way of JP Genoud-Prachex who pipped Giubergia by just 0.085 seconds. Over in GT Cup German Wolfgang Henseler’s reliability in the new Emira GT4 as well as his ability to get to grips with the new car meant he was GT Cup champion going into the final round.

The first race of the weekend kicked off with the customary rolling start, Belgium’s Thierry Verhiest & Germany’s Rainer ‘the rain man’ Börgens both had fantastic starts swallowing up Maréchal and sandwiching Vizin. Going into turn one it would surely be these two at the front, however, late on his brakes and coming through the middle Vizin put things back in order whilst a great drive from Verhiest saw him keep hold of second for a good ten laps before teammate Maréchal took second back. Börgens succumbed to Maréchal to eventually finish fourth. In fact, the top four would all finish in the same order as they stood in the V6 championship. Henseler in his wonderfully presented Emira GT4 found himself down in 8th place on the opening lap only to make the ground back for 5th overall.

In 211/Open surely Giubergia would play it safe and protect his championship lead. However, any thoughts of this were dispelled on the opening lap with the ex-Lotus Cup Italia Champion getting past JP Genoud-Prachex and the Henseler Emira with a nail biting and enthralling battle taking place before Jean Pierre settled back in first place with the Italian a comfortable second. Jason McInulty eventually got some reliability and earned a well-earned podium with N Genoud-Prachex down in fourth. Reiles‘s championship chances were over as he finished behind a hugely impressive first drive at Dijon by Italian Matteo Riccardi. In Production Edwards and Janssens had a right old scrap with places changing hands before Edwards eventually got the win his bad luck at Anneau du Rhin deserved. Britain’s David McInulty found much better reliability, like brother Jason had done and took the final Production podium step ahead of Dave Carr & Kai Leymann. The race brought out the racers in both Janssens and Giubergia who both no doubt gave their teams a few nervous moments.

Moving into the last race of the season, the battle over championship positions was very much still open in the 211/Open class with still four drivers in with a chance of honours. Mechanical problems unfortunately meant that 2023 Champion Mark Yates didn’t make the start, the brit will return to try and win his crown back next year! There were also gremlins for David Harvey with his 340R and Scotsman Campbell Cassidy, another who will be looking for reliability in ’25. The rest of the pack however, put on another enjoyable race with battles going on throughout the field much to the joy of the spectators.

New outright Champion Vizin took the chequered flag and the last win of the season ahead of Maréchal, the Luxembourg based driver will surely be aiming to give the Hungarian a run for his money next year with a bit better reliability. Verhiest finished third, with GT Cup Champion Henseler behind. In 211/Open JP Genoud-Prachex took the win just ahead of Giubergia, the Italian taking the championship crown – the first Italian driver to do so in the history of Lotus Cup Europe! Giubergia’s compatriot Riccardi took the final step on the podium, a very popular result. it should be noted that Henseler was also the first German Champion in the series history and the first person in the World to win a Championship in the Emira GT4. Janssens had duly been crowned Production champion but still kept fighting to the line, ahead of Edwards and McInulty. What an amazing season for the youngster, no doubt a great future in motorsport ahead of him.

Champion Vizin and Germany’s Leymann were the only two drivers to finish every race this year, some feat for both of them.

Of course, we would like to say a massive thank you to the wonderful marshals, medical teams, event officials and everyone else who makes it possible for us to compete, we are hugely grateful to you all.

Podiums:

Race 1	Overall	Exige Cup	GT Cup	211 Open	Production
1^st	T Vizin	T Vizin	W Henseler	JP Genoud-Prachex	M Edwards
2^nd	P Maréchal	P Maréchal		G Giubergia	R Janssens
3^rd	T Verhiest	T Verhiest		J McInulty	D McInulty

Race 2	Overall	Exige Cup	GT Cup	211 Open	Production
1^st	T Vizin	T Vizin	W Henseler	JP Genoud-Prachex	R Janssens
2^nd	P Maréchal	P Maréchal		G Giubergia	M Edwards
3^rd	T Verhiest	T Verhiest		M Riccardi	D McInulty

2024 Lotus Cup Europe Champions:

Overall and Exige:		GT Cup:		211/Open:		Production:
	Tamas Vizin Exige V6 Cup R		Wolfgang Henseler Emira GT4		Giacomo Giubergia Elise Cup PBR		Robbe Janssens Elise Cup R