Lionspeed GP
| Founded | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Base | Bad Homburg, Hesse, Germany |
| Team principal(s) | Patrick Kolb |
| Founder(s) | José Garcia Patrick Kolb |
| Current series | 24H Series GT World Challenge Europe Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie |
| Former series | International GT Open |
| Current drivers | Alex Fontana Patrick Kolb Bashar Mardini |
| Drivers' Championships | 2019 VLN SP7, 2020, 2021, 2022 NLS SP9 Pro-Am |
| Website | https://www.lionspeedgp.com/ |
Lionspeed GP is a German sports car racing team established in 2019 by drivers José Garcia and Patrick Kolb.[1] Based in Bad Homburg, Hesse, Germany, the team currently compete in the 24H Series, GT World Challenge Europe, and Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie.[2][3] Lionspeed previously raced with operational support from other racing teams, before becoming a fully independent squad in 2024.[4]
The team are former class winners in the Nürburgring 24 Hours, winning the SP9 Pro-Am class in 2020 and 2024.[5][6]
History
Lionspeed GP's first venture into motor racing came at the 2019 VLN Series, competing with a Huber Motorsport-backed Porsche 911 GT3 Cup. Andreas Simonsen, Lorenzo di Torrepadula, and co-founder Patrick Kolb drove the car for the season, with Johannes Stengel and Christoph Rendlen stepping in at select rounds. In that year's 2019 24 Hours of Nürburgring, they competed in the SP7 class, finishing 5th in class and 25th overall. The team made a strong step forward in 2020, with Lionspeed, again backed by Huber Motorsport, taking the SP9 Pro-Am class title in the 2020 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie and a class victory in the 2020 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Car Collection Motorsport later supported Lionspeed's operations between 2021 and 2023, exclusively racing in Audi machinery.[1][7]
After years of racing with operational support, the team transitioned into an independent team in 2024, having established their own team infrastructure.[4] In their first Nürburgring 24 Hours as a standalone entry, Lionspeed won the SP9 Pro-Am class with co-founder Kolb, Antares Au, Indy Dontje, and Patric Niederhauser.[6] The team also raced in the Spa 24 Hours for the first time that year, finishing the 2024 24 Hours of Spa 7th in the Bronze class.
In the 2025 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, Lionspeed supported a Cup 3 class entry with Chris Lulham and four-time Formula One world champion Max Verstappen, driving a power-restricted (mandatory for "rookies" of the circuit) Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport.[8][9] The latter had competed to earn a DMSB Permit Nordschleife, a permit necessary for competitors to participate in Group GT3 sports cars at the Nürburgring Nordschleife.[10]
Race results
24 Hours of Spa
| Year | Entrant | No. | Car | Drivers | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Lionspeed x Herberth | 80 | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Antares Au Alexander Fach Alessio Picariello Martin Rump |
Bronze | 475 | 22nd | 7th |
| 2025 | Lionspeed GP | 80 | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Ricardo Feller Patrick Kolb Riccardo Pera Gabriel Rindone |
Bronze | 546 | 21st | 4th |
24 Hours of Nürburgring
| Year | Entrant | No. | Car | Drivers | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Huber Motorsport | 63 | Porsche 911 GT3 Cup | Ulrich Berg Patrick Kolb Jonathan Miller Johannes Stengel |
SP7 | 142 | 25th | 5th |
| 2020 | Huber Motorsport | 25 | Porsche 911 GT3 R (991.2) | Marco Holzer Patrick Kolb Nico Menzel Lorenzo Rocco di Torrepadula |
SP9 Pro-Am | 82 | 15th | 1st |
| 2021 | Lionspeed by Car Collection Motorsport | 12 | Audi R8 LMS Evo | Jean-Louis Hertenstein Fidel Leib Klaus Koch Johannes Stengel |
SP9 | 54 | 30th | 21st |
| Lionspeed by Car Collection Motorsport | 24 | Audi R8 LMS Evo | Milan Dontje Patrick Kolb Patric Niederhauser Lorenzo Rocco di Torrepadula |
SP9 | 54 | 24th | 20th | |
| 2022 | Lionspeed by Car Collection Motorsport | 23 | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | Dennis Fetzer Klaus Koch Dennis Marschall Simon Reicher |
SP9 Pro-Am | 154 | 13th | 4th |
| Audi Sport Team Lionspeed by Car Collection | 24 | Audi R8 LMS Evo II | Mattia Drudi Patrick Kolb Christopher Mies Patric Niederhauser |
SP9 Pro | 159 | 6th | 6th | |
| 2023 | Lionspeed by Car Collection Motorsport | 24 | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Matt Campbell Mathieu Jaminet Patrick Kolb Patrick Pilet |
SP9 Pro | 16 | DNF | DNF |
| 2024 | Lionspeed GP | 24 | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Antares Au Indy Dontje Patrick Kolb Patric Niederhauser |
SP9 Pro-Am | 50 | 9th | 1st |
References
- ^ a b "Lionspeed GP confirms plans for the 2024 season with Porsche!". Lionspeed GP. 2024-01-15. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
- ^ Goodwin, Graham (2024-09-16). "Herberth Take Fourth Win At 24H Barcelona". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
- ^ Euwema, Davey (2025-03-31). "Feller Joins Lionspeed Bronze Cup Lineup". Sportscar365. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
- ^ a b Goodwin, Graham (2024-01-15). "Lionspeed GP Confirm Switch To Standalone Team In 2024". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ^ "Two Porsche in the top ten at a difficult Eifel classic". Porsche Newsroom. 2020-09-27. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
- ^ a b "King of the Ring: Audi wins weather-shortened ADAC RAVENOL 24h Nürburgring". Intercontinental GT Challenge. 2024-06-02. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
- ^ "Lionspeed GP with Patrick Kolb and Lorenzo Rocco joins forces with CarCollection Motorsport in 2021". EuropaWire. 2021-03-23. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ^ Euwema, Davey (2025-09-10). "Verstappen to Contest NLS Round in Porsche GT4 Car". Sportscar365. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
- ^ Spencer, Ed (2025-09-13). "Motorsport: Max Verstappen Completes Nurburgring Debut". autoevolution. Retrieved 2025-09-14.
- ^ Meens, Stefan. "Max obtains DMSB Permit Nordschleife: 'Amazing to contest 24-hour race here'". Verstappen.com. Retrieved 13 September 2025.