The Results of the 2025 SMP RCRS Championship for GTE Racing Team with Globaltechexport Ltd. as Its Major and Title Partner/Sponsor
The 2025 Russian Circuit Racing Series (RCRS) season consisting of seven stages held at Russia’s best circuits came to its end in mid-October. The Championship was traditionally supported by SMP Racing, the Russian Motorsport Development Program.
Globaltechexport Ltd. has always strived to support the development of Russian motorsports and is pleased to announce that GTE Racing Team, of which Globaltechexport Ltd. has been the major and title partner/sponsor since its establishment in 2017, has once again achieved excellent results in the most popular and competitive national circuit racing championship.
For several seasons now, our team has been a regular participant in the Russian Circuit Racing Series Cup in the S1600 class and fans and motorsport experts have long since become accustomed to both the team's striking domestic cars and the equally striking driver suits. And to the uncompromising battle for every position, every meter of the track, that our drivers wage from race to race.
In 2025, Philipp Tuponosov, Vladimir Sheshenin, Azat Kalimullin, Ruslan Safin, Konstantin Sheetov and Albert Zinatov competed for the GTE Racing Team and GTE Racing Team Plus.
The 2025 season, as usual, consisted of seven stages. However, this season certainly had its nuances. Firstly, the first stage of the new racing year was held for the first time at the Moscow Raceway circuit near Moscow, where the SMP RCRS series competitors arrived as early as in May. Secondly, the fifth stage of the competition was also held there in August. Between the two Moscow rounds, there were weekends in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Kazan. The capital of Tatarstan also hosted the sixth stage of the series. And the final October race, as usual, was held at the Fort Grozny circuit in the capital of the Chechen Republic.
Despite the schedule changes, the car selection during winter remained unchanged. The GTE Racing Team relied primarily on domestic LADA Granta FL cars developed and manufactured by Togliatti-based LADA Sport. These hatchbacks have been competing in Russian competitions for several seasons and have long earned a reputation for speed and reliability. In capable hands, LADA Granta FL can compete for the highest positions.
The speed of both the car and the drivers was demonstrated already at the first stage of the season. GTE Racing Team leader Philipp Tuponosov repeatedly broke through his rivals and won back position after position. But racing requires more than just speed, but luck. And there was something the matter with it at the Moscow Raceway. Ultimately, the team's best driver was Azat Kalimullin, who finished fourth in both races of the weekend. In addition to the aforementioned drivers, Ruslan Safin, Konstantin Sheetov, and Albert Zinatov also scored important points. The combined total of these points allowed GTE Racing Team to stake its claim not only for the individual lead but also for the team lead in the S1600 class.
The success had to be built at the next stage held at the state-of-the-art Igora Drive circuit in St. Petersburg. All the prerequisites for success were in place. But it was there that one of the most crucial events occurred, one that predetermined the outcome of the championship battle. In Saturday's race, Philipp Tuponosov, leading in pouring rain, made a U-turn on the first turn immediately after the safety car returned to the pit lane. A significant number of positions and points were lost. Nevertheless, it was in the Northern Capital that both Philipp Tuponosov and, a little earlier, Ruslan Safin, reached the podium to claim silver cups. The bronze trophy went to Konstantin Sheetov.
Severe 35-degree heat awaited the Russian Circuit Racing Series drivers at the next stage in Nizhny Novgorod, with temperatures inside the race cars reaching 70 degrees! But even these extreme conditions didn't stop Philipp Tuponosov from once again reaching the podium – the GTE Racing Team's lead driver claimed bronze in Saturday's race.
The Kazan track has never been a particularly suitable venue for the GTE Racing Team's cars. Moreover, by mid-season, issues and other aspects related to the performance balance of the competitors' foreign cars began to arise. Nevertheless, even here, in these conditions, the team's most successful driver, Philipp Tuponosov, was the second in the qualifying and the third in the first race. And the most successful race of the entire racing year was coming up!
In August, the Russian Circuit Racing Series returned to the Moscow Raceway. The GTE Racing Team had significantly strengthened its lineup between the two Moscow stages, with Vladimir Sheshenin, winner of the Russian Circuit Racing Cup in the S1600 class, taking the wheel of one of the cars. And the team's drivers were quick to respond. Both the pole position and the first place in the first race of the weekend went to Philipp Tuponosov, with Sheshenin taking the silver medal on the podium. Moreover, each of the two trophies was won in a tough battle with competitors. The second race brought another double podium, with Tuponosov second and Albert Zinatov third. Needless to say, the team left Moscow in high spirits. After all, the GTE Racing Team was back in pursuit of both titles!
It would seem possible to continue crushing the competitors at the next stage in Kazan. Especially since Ruslan Safin and Philipp Tuponosov managed to set the best times in the qualifying race. Unfortunately, they weren't able to follow through with a race triumph – only Safin took the second place on the podium in Saturday's race. Nevertheless, before the final of the Season, our team retained its chances of winning the Championship.
The final is the final! The struggle in the capital of Chechnya was especially acute. So acute that some drivers couldn't always settle their nerves even after the finish and resorted to verbal exchanges with their competitors. It was practically impossible to keep up with the Season leader, Kai Richard Schick, even though the team tried to get the most out of every race until the very last moment. But the struggle for team gold was truly a sight to behold. Before the race in Grozny, the gap to the leader was only 20 points. Hope for the top result arose after the qualifying race, in which both Sheshenin and Tuponosov finished in the top three. But in the races, there was neither pace nor luck. The only small consolation was the double podium for Sheshenin and another podium for Safin.
Nevertheless, this season has shown that GTE Racing Team has the drive to compete for the top spots. The team took silver in the Russian Circuit Racing Cup in the S1600 class. And Philipp Tuponosov won the title of the 2025 season vice-champion in the same class. The closer the season got to the end, the more closely the entire team worked together. And there's no doubt that GTE Racing Team will be even stronger in 2026!
The detailed overviews of all seven stages of the 2025 Season are available on the GTE Racing Team website.