Invercargill-born racing driver Brendon Leitch has won the Pro title at the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals at Monza in Italy, adding a second world finals crown to the Pro-Am title he claimed in 2024.

Leitch and his 17-year-old Australian co-driver Nicolas Stati, in the number 70 Leipert Motorsport Huracán, finished second in Saturday's opening race and then won Sunday's decider from ninth on the grid to seal the championship.

The pair crossed the line 6.297 seconds clear of the VSR entry of fellow New Zealander Liam Sceats and Gustaw Wisniewski, with Kiwi Will Bamber third, giving New Zealand drivers every step of the podium.

Stati took the opening stint on Sunday and pitted as soon as the window opened, handing over to Leitch in clear air. Leitch used the early stop to climb past the leaders and then pulled away over the closing laps.

Leitch told motorsport website Sportscar365 before the race that he had "not too high expectations, just to go and have some fun and send it." Afterwards he described the win as "quite a big relief actually".

Stati, from Perth, is in his first season of GT racing after a career in single-seaters. He said winning the world finals had been a personal goal and that he would not have been racing that weekend without Leitch's help.

A big week in Italy

The world finals capped a busy week at Monza. Leitch and Stati also contested the final round of the Super Trofeo Europe series on Thursday and Friday, winning one race and finishing second in the other.

The world finals field brought together 36 cars from the European, North American and Asian series. Race one was won by Dennis Lind and Elias de la Torre of TR3 Racing, who finished fifth in Sunday's decider.

Monza also marked the last outing for the Huracán Super Trofeo, the car used in Lamborghini's one-make series since 2015. It will be replaced by the Temerario Super Trofeo next year.

Leitch's 2024 Pro-Am victory came at Jerez in Spain alongside Anthony McIntosh. Sunday's win was his first in the top Pro class.

What's next

Leitch and Stati will race together again over the southern summer in the Asian Le Mans Series, driving a Leipert-run Lamborghini Temerario GT3. The series has been shifted to European circuits because of conflict in the Middle East, with rounds at Paul Ricard on 14 and 15 November, Jerez in January and Portimão in February. Each round features two four-hour races.