Toro Verde GT rounded out a successful campaign with Ginetta’s developmental G56 Cup to secure the GTX Teams’ title in the 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy. 

After taking class victory on its competitive debut at December’s Hankook 12H KUWAIT, Toro Verde GT – with Formula E and World Endurance Championship race winner Nico Prost on-board for his 24H SERIES debut – took its second GTX class win at the Hankook 24H DUBAI after a trouble-free run. A result that secured the British team and the new Ginetta GTX Teams’ honours in the 24H SERIES Middle East Trophy. 

Ironically, an oil leak in the power steering aside in Kuwait, the only major problem for the British team came during round two in Abu Dhabi: a second-generation, 3.7-litre V6 had been flown in for the event from Ginetta’s headquarters, but in a bizarre incident, damage from a bird strike during qualifying ultimately led to retirement from the Hankook 6H ABU DHABI after just 32 laps. 

“We went out to the [24H SERIES] Middle East Trophy as part of a factory support team with Ginetta,” team manager Jules Westwood explains. “The [Hankook] 12H KUWAIT went really, really well. We won the class, which also gave us the lead in the Middle East Trophy. Then we had a few development parts flown out for the Abu Dhabi race in the new year, and headed into the weekend with a new engine in the car. We were very quick, but unfortunately we had a bird strike, and something must have been ingested into the engine which bent the valve. So, we retired after an hour.”

Ironically, with the older-spec engine re-fitted for the Hankook 24H DUBAI, Toro Verde GT, having closed down a one-lap gap and overhauled 2022/2023 GTX Teams’ winner razoon – more than racing during the night, would go on to take an untroubled second win, minus one 10-second time penalty for exceeding the speed limit in the refueling area, at the Dubai Autodrome. 

This marked the second podium in succession for the British team at the Hankook 24H DUBAI, following its 3rd place in 992 in a collaborative effort with 2025 24H SERIES champion Duel Racing in 2023. 

Alongside the GTX Teams’ trophy, Ginetta CEO Lawrence Tomlinson, his son Freddie, and Ginetta works driver Mike Simpson – all three of whom competed in Kuwait, Abu Dhabi and Dubai – also took GTX Drivers’ honours in Dubai. 

“For the last round in Dubai, we had to put in the old spec engine again, which is like old faithful, so the car was good,” Westwood continues. “We were trading the lead with one of the other cars in the class for the first half of the race” – razoon – more than racing’s KTM X-BOW – “and then they ran into a little problem. We just kept going, extending the lead, until we crossed the line first in-class, which meant we won the the GTX championship as well as the [Hankook] 24H DUBAI. 

“From a team point of view, I couldn't be more proud. We went out with a brand new car, and through the work of everyone at Toro Verde GT, Ginetta, and of all the support staff, we won the championship. To finish a 24-hour race is amazing anyway, but we finished, and won it, so it feels fantastic.”

Though Toro Verde GT has not yet finalized its plans for further outings with CREVENTIC, the new category champion has expressed an interest in competing at the 10th Hankook 12H MUGELLO on 22-23-24 March.