Round 2 of the 2025 GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup took place at the iconic Monza circuit in Italy. EDGE Sporting Management driver Mikey Porter, racing with Optimum Motorsport in the McLaren 720S GT3 Evo alongside teammates James Allen and Largim Ali, was looking to build on the promising form shown in Round 1.
The weekend started in excellent fashion with strong performances in both testing and pre-qualifying. The team set the second-fastest time in the Gold Cup class and were 13th overall in a grid of 58 cars—just four tenths off the overall pace. It was a clear signal of the trio’s competitiveness.
Unfortunately, disaster struck at the worst possible moment. A technical issue just ahead of qualifying meant that the car could not take part in the session. With no qualifying time, the team was forced to start from the very back of the grid—P58.
With a mountain to climb, the race strategy was all about recovery and damage limitation. Mikey and his teammates stayed calm and executed an outstanding comeback throughout the three-hour race. By the 30-minute mark, they had already made some headway, moving up to P51. By halfway, the team was up to P31 overall and P6 in the Gold Cup category. With 30 minutes to go, they were sitting P26 overall and P4 in class, applying pressure to the front-runners.
They eventually crossed the line in P24 overall, securing P4 in the Gold Cup class—just shy of a podium. Crucially, the car recorded the second-fastest lap in class, only a tenth slower than the class-winning car, which finished fourth overall.
Speaking after the race, Mikey said:
“Obviously it was incredibly disappointing to have a problem with the car, but I’d like to thank the Optimum Motorsport team who did absolutely everything they could to get the car repaired and ready for the race. We could have easily missed the race, so I’m hugely grateful for their effort. Personally, I was pleased with my own pace and consistency, and my teammates did a great job. To come back and finish fourth in class was a solid result, but we definitely left a stronger result on the table. I can’t wait to get back in the car at Spa for the next round.”
Results – Q – P58 /. Race – 4th in Gold Cup (P24 Overall)