New Zealand racing driver Liam Sceats will take part in Lamborghini Squadra Corse’s 2026 Young Driver Programme shootout at Vallelunga later this week after completing his rookie GT season as Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia Pro runner-up and finishing second in the final race of the Lamborghini World Finals at Monza.
The two-day shootout near Rome will bring together selected members of Lamborghini’s Young Driver Programme, with the opportunity to secure support and further progression within the manufacturer’s motorsport programme for 2027.
Sceats, 21, is one of seven drivers still in contention at the shootout after Lamborghini assessed nearly 50 candidates at the start of and throughout the 2026 season. The Aucklander entered the programme during his first season racing a GT car, sharing a VSR Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo EVO2 with Polish driver Gustaw Wisniewski.
At the halfway mark of their Asian championship campaign, Wisniewski and Sceats were 25 points behind the championship lead. They arrived at the final round at Monza only six points behind, then took pole position and won the opening race to reduce the deficit to a single point. A wet and unpredictable finale ended with third place, leaving the VSR pairing second in the Pro championship by only three points after four victories across the season.
“We threw everything at it,” Sceats said. “To come back from 25 points behind at the halfway mark, win the first race at Monza and take the championship to the final race was a huge effort. Finishing three points short hurts, but I am proud of how Gustaw, VSR and I performed across my first season in GT racing.”
The championship was followed immediately by the Lamborghini World Finals, which brought 104 drivers and 65 cars from across Asia, Europe and North America to Monza in front of 35,000 spectators.
Sceats and Wisniewski finished fourth in the opening World Finals race, missing the podium by approximately two-tenths of a second. In the final race, Sceats was struck from behind on the opening lap, leaving him a passenger in the incident and causing an estimated NZ$20,000 of rear-diffuser damage. The car remained driveable, and Sceats moved from sixth to third during his stint before a rapid driver change briefly put the car into the race lead. The pair finished second.
The pair finished fourth in the overall World Finals Pro standings, one point short of the podium.
On his World Finals debut, Sceats finished as the leading rookie and highest-placed Lamborghini Junior Driver, strengthening his position ahead of the shootout later this week.
“Twelve months ago, I genuinely did not know what 2026 would look like,” Sceats said. “To finish the year fighting for an Asian championship and a World Finals podium with Lamborghini is a significant step. Now the focus is Vallelunga. I want to show my speed, the way I work with a team and why I am ready for the next level.”
The 2024 New Zealand Grand Prix winner moved into GT racing this season after competing in Formula Regional championships in New Zealand and Japan and on the Road to INDY pathway in the United States. His aim is to build a professional career in GT3 and endurance racing, with the long-term goal of representing a manufacturer at major international events including the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Eighteen New Zealand partners and supporters have helped Sceats reach this point. They include James Kirkpatrick Group, Armstrong’s, Bayleys, Giltrap Group, Online Contractors, Wyborn Capital, JFC Ltd, Trimax Mowing Systems, Pink Beluga, Dempsey Wood, AJR Finance, Sortimo Solutions New Zealand and Ray Haslar Autohaus.
“Every result carries the names of the people and businesses backing me from New Zealand,” Sceats said. “International racing does not happen without them, and I am determined to turn their support into a long-term professional career.”
