8 Laps Versus a Pro in the NEW Maserati MC20 GT2 | Henry Catchpole - The Driver’s Seat

The new Maserati MC20 GT2 is very cool, very new and Henry Catchpole has driven it. What’s more, it might just spawn a road car to rival a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. For the moment it is the freshest entrant to the Fanatic GT2 race series, competing against cars such as the Lamborghini Huracan, Audi R8, Mercedes-AMG GT and KTM X-Bow as well as a Porsche 911, obviously. It is also the successor to the legendary MC12 Corse.
With the same 621bhp, turbocharged Nettuno V6 as the Maserati MC20 street car, the GT2 version is definitely not lacking in performance. But it is also meant to be more approachable than a GT3 car. It should be approachable for an amateur as well as incredibly quick in the hands of a professional. To put this to the test, Henry Catchpole was given eight laps to get as close as possible to the time of Maserati’s multiple championship-winning test and development driver, Andrea Bertolini.
Just to add to the pressure, the track is the Autodromo di Modena, a circuit that Catchpole has never driven before. And he had to talk to camera while driving. And it’s well known that a Croissant for breakfast makes you slower. And if you just turn to page 439 of the BIG Book of Racing Driver Excuses… Thankfully the MC20 GT2 has both adjustable ABS and traction control to lend a hand and the secondary controls were all laid out according to the teachings of a certain Michael Schumacher.
The bodywork is carbon fibre but the brakes are steel. The GT2 category doesn’t prioritise aero like a GT3 car, but nonetheless it will generate over 1000kg of downforce with its splitter, wing, diffuser and flat floor. The gearbox is still paddle-operated, but the ratios are in a six speed sequential rather than a dual clutch ‘box. The dihedral doors remain from the road car and the GT2 can also be fitted with a second seat, to allow for training. Or just very fun passenger rides.
We hope you enjoy this episode of The Driver’s Seat. If you would like to support the Hagerty KZbin channel then please think about giving the film a like or leaving a comment. If you fancy going even further, then a subscription to the Hagerty Drivers Club with all its benefits is just a few clicks away: bit.ly/Join-HDC-Henry
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Like what you see? Watch our other series including:
Redline Rebuilds | Time-lapse engine rebuilds from start to finish bit.ly/RedlineRebuild
Barn Find Hunter | Tom Cotter searches the country for abandoned cars bit.ly/BarnFIndHunter
Jason Cammisa on the Icons | The definitive car review
bit.ly/JasonCammisaICONS
Revelations | Untold Stories About Automotive Legends with Jason Cammisa
bit.ly/JasonCammisaRevelations
The Driver's Seat with Henry Catchpole
bit.ly/HenryCatchpole
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[@shakesnbake]

We need a Cammisa Catchpole collab :)

[@kentbeitel9966]

We can only wish.

[@sebastiancenizo]

I enjoy that they’re so unlike each other in style and so differently paced. If they ever collaborate, I hope it’s for something spectacular and generationally significant.

[@stron2004]

@@sebastiancenizoPiech-pisode perhaps?

[@sebastiancenizo]

@@stron2004 titillating, but only as long as we still get the podcast with DTS that goes over EVEN MORE nerdy details.

[@ametti000]

Can't watch Camissa... Henry is great.

[@edcunhaph]

9:53 A GT2 Season with Andrea + Catchpole driving and covering the races would be amazing! 100% a must to watch! Please make it happen! :D

[@inserstnamehere]

The old Harris endurance racing videos are about as good as car KZbin for.

[@sebastiancenizo]

As much as I loved watching the driving, I could’ve watched Mr. Catchpole talk about how the Nettuno works for ages. Love the passion for engineering art.

[@wldwst22]

Henry may not be a pro, but he dang sure ain't no average Joe. 😅

[@pcar928fan]

WOW! Within 3 seconds in a car you don’t know and on a track you don’t know with only 8 laps… That is damn good! Congratulations on that!

[@NickTimms-wf9ev]

Another great film Henry, bravo - also raised a smile for "tickle your trident! " great work.

[@stefanonicola3445]

Catchpole, Chris Harris & J.Bovingdon truly are the best motor journalists left out there. Love when he says "Bravo" to him ahah

[@misterdog7]

3 secs down is excellent Henry!

[@petjack363]

The opening scene was an absolute eargasm. I wear a Cochlear Implant and it tickles my brain.

[@phumlanindlovu5653]

Henrys gentle tone in automotive has become my favourite🙂🤌🏾💯

[@Jon-em4kc]

Absolutely! No need to scream and shout. Beautifully subtle, love his content.

[@ELZ-R]

Man I totally agree. The likes of Harris and Hammond screaming and giggling with so little substance is irritating. Henry is an absolute master

[@phumlanindlovu5653]

@@ELZ-R I love it his a legend

[@phumlanindlovu5653]

@@Jon-em4kc if you know your thing there's no need to scream the work is gonna speak for itself

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​@@phumlanindlovu5653that's the way i like it

[@SgtNuker]

That Andrea "found time" with a passenger in the car speaks to how well the gentleman knew the course and the car. Exquisite. Henry, you're always so reserved and softly spoken, you could tell that you're genuinely tickled with this Maserati. Your smile didn't leave your face the entire time.

[@mykspence]

You're being very modest Mr C, you'd embarrass a lot of the well seasoned AM's in British GT. Great video

[@drivefasternow9071]

You're being extremely modest, Henry. A 3 second delta, under the given conditions and constraints, is fantastic. You were able to identify the gaps. With a bit more time, you'd likely be within a second of Andrea, which is COMMENDABLE!!

[@flyingphoenix113]

I really wish Maserati would make a Granturismo GT4 and an MC20 GT3. The previous generation Granturismo GT4 was a much-beloved stalwart entrant in the series, and the new car is an even better candidate. I feel like their resources wasted in Formula E could be spent elsewhere in a much more effective manner on ICE racing series, but I'm still glad that the MC20 GT2 exists.

[@kartaltoth684]

GT3 would require a lot more time and effort relative to GT2 so I doubt Maserati would be down to it in the future.

[@drewwrobel564]

@@kartaltoth684 Where is GT2 regs used? GT4 and GT3 are everywhere now. . . .

[@kartaltoth684]

@@drewwrobel564 European GT2 Series and Ratel wants to add it to basically every SRO series bar the main one (though Spa may have them since it's also a IGTC round) NLS has it as a class and smaller stuff also allows them.

[@jpl8878]

Their experience in Formula E informed the development of the Granturismo and MC20 Folgore variants, which is the point of that kind of racing. That's hardly wasted resources.

[@OldManOnTrak]

Henry, I really hope you do get to race with Andrea as his teammate in a Pro-Am race. The envy is big in this one. All I can do is drive the sim version in ACC

[@HoratioHoodoo]

Now that Harris is somewhat retired, Catchpole is #1. And, though short of Harris on raw emotion, he was probably always the best. Poetry, passion, history, theatre, and the right questions answered. Every time. We're lucky to have him.

[@S2000Y]

Within 3 seconds ! That's a knockout win in my book

[@drummerdoingstuff5020]

Glad Maserati is back in the game!

[@alexandrececilio1677]

The beauty and performace of these machines always leave me amazed. Very beautiful video.

[@54M0HT]

There's something about competition cars which always seem to bring an extra gear out of Henry, really enjoyed this vid.

[@stubailey9433]

Brilliant work to all involved! Enjoyed this.

[@jezdelion7729]

What a machine! I really enjoyed the detail on that sumptuous V6 tech. An approachable GT2 series car is awesome!

[@lambrosstamos4494]

She's painfully beautiful. And the suit, too. That's racing in style.

[@ezcatch77]

Really Really enjoyed this. Been following you for several years now and there’s been significant improvement in the content and quality of your vids. I remember writing a negative comment some years back when u reviewed a car that i perceived more as a self indulgent vid as opposed to focusing on the car. Never saw that happen anymore, and with Hagerty, it’s been a step up in production quality as well as information shared. You are one of my top 3-5 reviewers out there🏆

[@RobColbert]

A beautiful machine and a job well done. Thanks for taking us along for the ride!

[@anchorbubba]

we would love too see more pro laps content in the future this is a great start

[@neoBliZZard7]

It's so great to see a comparison of a pro and a decent driver. I am tired of the noob comparison videos. If someone is passionate about cars and sometimes drives sports cars, he will never be down 20 % or even more. 3s down is definitely good. But my own experience of driving sports cars is that the last 3-4 % are extremely hard to gain. It is the difference between fast driving and squeezing out the car in perfection.

[@mrmorrisniceguy987]

Brilliant Content! If there should ever be a racing series where Mr Catchpole would race, I would certainly watch it no matter what racing class! Also it is remarkable just how much of a difference there still is, considering that Henry is probably a better driver than 99% of people. Just curious to see how much of a difference that 1% can make!

[@smurf9857]

Excellent episode and driving from Henry! I suggest you try to get a drive in the Revolution A One or their new Evo.

[@Miggy2j]

Wow, very impressive time Henry!

[@thepuntersperspective]

Another Masterclass film from Catchpole & Co

[@leifkarlsson4431]

Very inspiring and informative video, thank you so much for sharing!

[@punjabeeplaya]

lol "tickles your trident"

[@mitchell-wallisforce7859]

2010 FIA GT1 World Driver's Co-Champion (with Michael Bartels) in that very same iconic Vitaphone Racing Maserati MC12. Twice a winner of the Spa 24 Hours (in 2006 and 2008, both times with Bartels and Eric van de Poele, and in '08 with Stephane Sarrazin), again in that very same Vitaphone MC12. Oh, and those two wins happen to be the two fastest average speeds ever achieved at anything resembling the current Spa layout. 2015 World Endurance Champion and Le Mans 24H class winner in the LMGTE-Am class (with Victor Shaytar and Aleksey Basov) in an SMP Racing Ferrari 458 GT2. 2016 European Le Mans Series vice-champion (with Robert Smith and current BTCC hotshoe Rory Butcher) in JMW Motorsport's 458 GT2. This after finishing second in round two, winning three races in a row, then retiring and being excluded from the rest. Yeah, somethin' tells me this dude's pretty good.

[@ELZ-R]

We gotta wait toooo long in between features to see Henry. Another brilliant episode 👏

[@andybroer651]

Henry you did great for a new car and new circuit! Bravo, wonderful video and as a Maserati nut - Thank you! Only thing I'd point out is Maserati was winning faces WAAAY before Ferrari was born, don't forget that - founded Dec 1st, 1917. Also, Ferrari never won the Indy 500, let alone twice!

[@hughmann1908]

Incredible stuff guys! All around!

[@SmallBlogV8]

GT2 at Le Mans is unlikely any time soon, but they've introduced GT2 cars to the Nürburgring 24 Hours now (assuming that's not affected by various going-on...) so you might see a Maserati duking it out with AMGs, 911s and Audi R8s at the Green Hell as soon as this May.

[@michaelaltig5519]

LMAO "tickles your trident" ha ha ha

[@starkparker16]

Great job Catchpole

[@christopherlaw9184]

I would want a MC20 ❤ over a Ferrari/Lambo/Porsche, it’s just different and more interesting to me. Great video, Henry and team ⭐️👍🏼

[@user-kv6xu5lx1o]

Mr Andrea appears to be an extremely good teacher. What a professional.

[@niceguy100000]

Good film and driving. I'd really want to learn the track with a less expensive car beforehand. Porsche GT3 comes to mind.

[@joshscott3271]

Fantastic video, Winning!!!

[@joebeus6886]

We need Bugatti and Maserati back at Le Mans

[@pafsrh4744]

nice 2 of those ,yeahh buddy

[@Gaaaaaaaaaaad]

More of these videos please

[@rcravincase]

The 3d model of the pre-combustion chamber's flame front reminds me of a diesel's flame pattern

[@farishanafiah8461]

Hopefully SRO can keep the GT2 class racing for a long time. It's a great balance between the amateur-focused GT4 and the aero-focused GT3. Fun fact: Despite 2 being a higher number than 3, GT2 is actually a position lower than GT3.

[@pauortega9954]

I think we all agree that everyone would love for Masserati to make a GT3 car

[@janson2911]

The engine sound is somehow appropriate now. It's no screaming V12, but I like it regardless. Way better than the regular MC20

[@coachalexwagner]

90° V6. Oh no. Like the PRV. :-/ Great video though ! :)

[@cj41079]

Love that diff whine ❤ Does not sound V6 TT at all 😮😮

[@SmallBlogV8]

It sounds similar to the Alfa Giulia QV and Ferrari 499P. When the exhaust goes from 3-to-2 on each side instead of 6-to-1 altogether then it pitches the engine note down an octave.

[@Fastvoice]

I guess the noise comes mainly from the straight toothed sequential gearbox, not from the diff.

[@cj41079]

@@Fastvoice oh 😅😅

[@ThisiscoolGAMES]

So much hate for the MC20 but it has become my dream car - especially the Cielo (convertible variant). 🔥

[@justdriveit7434]

Amazing!!!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@jorhop4005]

And the MC20 just won it's first race today, 10 days after this was unloaded

[@muhammadabdullahahmad7765]

Congratulations to the camera man for making a fast car looks slow 😂

[@TP-3000]

Proper bit of kit

[@dentist-gd9ue9cm8y]

Very Cooooooool 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@ceochrisholder]

Will the exhaust on this be on any version of the mc20 that is on the road?

[@AXXeYY]

one of the better sounding v6 aswell

[@memomomomomo185]

This sounds so much better than the road car!!

[@Edgedrifle]

Very reminiscent of when Hammond was driving that Maserati coupe around a track and got rinsed for being 4 seconds off on a 1 minute lap

[@LitleBear]

With the little track time ive had, braking and corner exit is where the pros make the differenxe.

[@chrtsi6912]

Make it as Porsche/Fassbeder series...it would be epic! 🔱🏆

[@ChristianBorrman]

bravo 👏

[@INCREDIBULHULK]

gorgeous supercar

[@FarmerDrew]

Me, showing up to X-Class SCCA autocross 😎

[@jakecowlishaw295]

Amazing video as ever, but are we just ignoring this 1:43, a Ford Ka with a mad livery!? What’s it’s story!

[@CarsMeetsBikes]

The two dentists that can afford to race this in WEC are foaming at the mouth

[@kartaltoth684]

WEC has GT3 as it's GT regs (not SRO GT3 but their own GT3 because reasons) and not GT2 (which is funfact: slower than GT3).

[@danielbrown4579]

Or the EXtrema they’d definitely be interested in for a gentleman’s track toy.

[@stevejacobsen1872]

Need more barn finds

[@luisosorio330]

I which i could drive something like that, amazing experience

[@ezpz4659]

Love my m113k in my AMG. 2 spark plugs per cylinder

[@matthewdaniels7462]

Trident power !!!

[@tubs1984]

What is Henry’s watch. Loved the colour of the strap.

[@DavidRantasa]

Not sure about the watch, but looks like it could be a nato strap from Bark & Jack

[@hashbrown2352]

my childhood dream of becoming a race car driver is decreasing to nothing

[@charlesclement383]

Awesome machine. Hope they make some for rich customers.

[@oskar6661]

Great looking car, but a weird (and slightly sad) choice to go GT2 instead of the vastly more popular/successful GT3 formula. I'd much rather see this competing in proper IMSA/WEC events vs. the much more scant GT2 special events. I know GT2 is a bit less tech, and more power...and that sounds great, but without featuring in more competitive series, it's kind of a waste.

[@kartaltoth684]

GT3 would require a lot more time and effort relative to GT2 so I doubt Maserati would be down to it in the future.

[@billgiltzow4464]

The point of GT2 is not to entertain an audience. The purpose is to sell to and entertain the drivers, and employ pro drivers and teams.

[@oskar6661]

@@kartaltoth684Sure, but it also means no one will remember this car in the future. We're in the golden era of sports car racing...and Maserati isn't involved. Unfortunate.

[@You068]

WOW...

[@gabrielbarcellos1036]

A Maserati podia usar coletores parecidos com esses pra versão de rua, é um carro caríssimo que mal tem ronco

[@roblipton9121]

who, as an amatuer racer, would race this? it's a works car, effectively

[@mochabear88]

baller

[@Stingraeee]

what if they're bring gt3s i mean, lm gt3 is where this car is should be😬

[@hustleeveryday5852]

I love the sound of that huge turbo spooling up and blowing off. That's how a race car should sound, not that stupid whine of an electric motor.

[@heinedenmark]

If I didn't know better, I would say this was a V8 engine.. from the sound.

[@JarmelSingsKaraoke]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@shaheenevans]

Mc20 at lemans 👌🏻

[@LaczPro]

Car engine blasting. Yeah, get some good headphones to listen to this

[@enjoshi-godrez8775]

I thought the GT2 class was disbanded?

[@razielradd3016]

its revived same as GT1

[@oskar6661]

It's been revived, but not in major motorsport competition. It's kind of its own weird thing, which is a shame...since they're wasting some of these cars on the class - as opposed to pitting it against better competition in GT3, etc.

[@kartaltoth684]

@@oskar6661 GT1 is basically a trackday with SRO stickers but GT2 is actually a racing class that does racing much like GT3.

[@JBMountainSkills]

I love the content but this aspect ratio really bugs me.

[@mr_jons8390]

I miss carfection

[@marcolesmo1987]

Pian piano Maserati sta tornando a lavorare bene e alle corse… anche in formula E…il posto che si merita dopo tanto purgatorio….

[@Mastermindthreethousand]

"more than 553 F1 cars driven..." so 554?

[@bryanyankulov3162]

In my opinion this is my Dream Car. It would be such a wonderful peice of art and machinery that would be a prayer come true to be able to drive.

[@michaelgakanga]

See I don’t understand why the MC20 can’t sound like the race car on the outside. The regulations can’t be THAT bad, can they?

[@dariocp87]

Brands like these should be free from the Ferrari and fiat’s control. They’ll be even better than Ferrari at some point but even in car brands stuff there’s a mafia thing going on.. In Italy basically it’s illegal that a Maserati is faster than a Ferrari..

[@jonathanchabby6215]

Third from Kenya 🇰🇪

[@edwinlomonaco6754]

8 laps is nowhere near enough time in a new car and a new track. There are subtle nuances that take time to learn that are unique to every track. Same goes for the car. It's enough to experience it all. But certainly not match a pro drivers time. Those last 3 seconds seem close. But as the pro driver stated. Now it's in the details. Your braking point, how much brake, how quickly you release depending on the turn, just to point out a few can all take weeks. So the 3 second difference is the cumulative experience the pro driver has. And those last 3 and even more difficult the last 0.5 seconds gets exponentially more difficult. And as you attempt to approach faster lap times you undoubtedly make mistakes. And there goes your lap time. Hopefully not the car. But also even if you can match the time you will very likely not be able to match it consistently lap after lap. Which is another part of what it means to be an experienced driver. It's setting a competitive pace that is comfortable. Not a pace that is your absolute best.

[@harpersneil]

If you're an amateur then I don't know what I am!

[@artemg777]

I wonder why he chose automobile journalism