Lema Racing is gearing up for its first full season in the GT4 European Series powered by RAFA Racing Club this year, with drivers Mark Kastelic and Elias Niskanen returning to share its first Mercedes-AMG GT4.
The Slovenian team made an eye-catching debut in the championship last year with a one-off appearance at Monza. The team came agonisingly close to securing a podium finish before a puncture robbed Kastelic and Niskanen of a secure second place.
Now the team will be back for a full attack, with both drivers aiming high in the Silver category.
Slovenian teenager Kastelic, 17, will be one of the youngest drivers on the grid and graduates to GT4 following a successful karting career in which he competed at both European and World championship level. He was third in last year’s GT4 Italy points in his first season of GT4 racing.
Finnish driver Niskanen, 24, is already highly decorated, having been a champion in Finnish Formula Ford and Formula Open, runner-up in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe Pro-Am class in 2020 and was Iberian Supercars champion in 2022.
The team’s Mercedes-AMG GT4 will run with support from Slovenian lubricants producer Mapetrol. Lema Racing is also close to finalising drivers for a planned second car. The team will also twin its GT4 Europe programme with campaigns in both GT4 Italy and Iberian Supercars.
Mark Kastelic says: “This season will be extremely difficult. It is a new challenge for me and for the team, but I am confident that we are absolutely ready to compete at the highest level. I really enjoy the Mercedes-AMG, which suits me well and I appreciate the weight ratio and front-engined concept, which provides me with more grip at the front of the car. I hope that by the end of the season we can finish in the top five, but quietly, I am also hoping for a podium in some of the races this year.”
Elias Niskanen says: “I am starting my fourth year with Lema Racing and have seen the team develop year by year. Every time I enter a championship, I do so seriously, and the goal is always to win. But you also have to be realistic. There are teams with years of experience on the tracks and in the championship. I will be happy if we reach the podium during the season, and if we can be among the top five by the end of the year.”
Lema Racing team manager Jaka Marinsek adds: “We are thrilled to announce our participation in the GT4 European Series. With Mark and Elias behind the wheel we are ready to take on the competition and fight against the best teams and drivers. The season looks promising, and we can’t wait to hit the track, especially because this year we are proud to have Mapetrol as our general sponsor, a brand that fuels performance and innovation on and off the track. We are also in the final stages of finalising the drivers for our second Mercedes-AMG GT4, and we are confident that we will enter the championship with a strong two-car team.”
Mapetrol technical director Alan Marc adds: “Mapetrol is proud to power Lema Racing in the GT4 European Series. As the general sponsor, we stand for performance, endurance and cutting-edge technology – the key ingredients for success on the track. With Mark and Elias behind the wheel of the AMG GT4, the team is ready to take on the competition. Plus, with a second Mercedes-AMG GT4 in the works, this season promises to be an adrenaline-fueled battle! We’re excited to see our lubricants push the limits where it matters most. Power in every drop. Performance in every lap.”
