Treluyer-Ghirelli (Audi R8) and Tujula-Vainio (Lamborghini Huracan) take the win in Race-2 at the 5th round of the Italian GT Championship

The House of Ingolstadt claimed the win also in GT3 with Rangoni-Magnoni, while La Mazza-Nicolosi (Porsche 997) and Sabino De Castro (Porsche Cayman) won respectively GT Cup and GTS.
Image

Race-2 of the 5th round of the Italian GT Championship has ended with the double win of Audi thanks to the success of the R8 LMS driven by Treluyer-Ghirelli in Super GT3 and that of Rangoni-Magnoni in GT3. In the highest class, Audi Sport Italia drivers led the Lamborghini Huracan of Agostini-Zampieri and the Ferrari 488 of Malucelli-Cheever, while in GT3, behind the winners Bontempelli-Niboli (Ferrari 458 Italia) and Venerosi-Baccani (Porsche GT3R) completed the podium. In Super GT Cup, reserved to the Lamborghini Huracans, the Finns Tujula-Vainio (Vincenzo Sospiri Racing) repeated the win taken yesterday leading team mates Cazzaniga-D’Amico and Pastorelli-Bonacini, while La Mazza-Nicolosi (Porsche 997) and Sabino De Castro (Porsche Cayman) won, respectively GT Cup and GTS.

 


SUPER GT3: The maiden victory for Audi arrived in Imola’s Race-2. Treluyer-Ghirelli have been protagonist in a race that was made more difficult by the rain fallen before the start. Ghirelli recovered a couple of places in the first stint, but the final blow went in the second half of the race when Treluyer came to the fore posting very quick lap times. Thanks to the absence of time handicaps, the French driver managed to get out of the pits in third place and used all his talent taking the lead of the race on lap 22 after getting past Agostini and Gai. At the flag, Audi’s car proceeded Agostini-Zampieri, as the driver from Rome has been good in recovering two places on Beretta and Schirò, while the driver from Padova led several laps in the second stint, defending with grit his lead from the attacks moved by Stefano Gai. The Black Bull Swiss Racing driver, helped by a great Rugolo, ended the first stint on top, and is still leading the provisional classification after ending the race with a quite unlucky seventh place as he survived a problem to the left rear tyre one lap to the end when holding P2. The third step of the podium, despite starting from the last spot of the grid due to a problem on the starting grid, allowed Malucelli-Cheever to close in on Stefano Gai in the classification, and now they stand two points short of the lead. Behind them, Frassineti-Beretta, fourth at the flag ahead of Palma-Baruch, are now five points short of the classification lead, while Agostini-Zampieri complete the title contenders 9 points adrift. Comandini-Cerqui (BMW M6 GT3) were hit by bad luck early on as they had to pit due to a problem with the fuel pressure, but BMW Team Italia are still leading the non-Pro classification, proceeding Lorenzo Veglia, who is one point clear of Gentili-Cassarà, the latter ended seventh absolute today.

 

Image

GT3: Audi claimed the first win of the season also in GT3 thanks to the win taken by Luca Magnoni and Luca Rangoni. In the first stint the driver from Varese kept P3 behind Bontempelli (Ferrari 458 Italia-MP1 Corse), always on top, and Baccani (Porsche GT3R-Ebimotors), while Rangoni took the lead after the pit stop, and did not give it away until the flag, when he was first proceeding Niboli and Venerosi. The fourth place went to La Mazza (Ferrari 458 Italia-Easy Race), who took over from Magli, and proceeded Del Castello (Corvette Z06R-Erreci Proracing) who shared driving duties with Colajanni. Veronesi and Baccani keep the classification lead 26 points clear of Niboli.


SUPER GT CUP: Following the victory in Race-1, Tujula-Vainio (Vincenzo Sospiri Racing) got the full haul also on Sunday and now stand first in the classification leading team mates Liang-Ortiz and Cazzaniga-D’Amico, respectively by 20 and 26 points. The Finn pairing did not have any problem since the start, when Vainio took an early lead and passed the baton to his co-equiper who proceeded D’Amico at the flag. The driver from Rome took over from Cazzaniga, and installed himself on top, but at lap 18 he had to give his position to the 20 years old Finn, settling down for a great P2 that relaunches the pairing in the classification. The third place went to Pastorelli-Bonacini (Imperiale Racing), who led several Antonelli Motorsport line-ups: Desideri-Necchi, Ruberti-Hurata, Perolini-Negra and Basz-Kasai, that were followed by Giudice-Perlini (Petri Corse Motorsport).

Image

GT CUP: The traditional challenge among the Porsches ended very early, when Palazzo had to pit in due to a technical problem. The lead of the class went therefore to La Mazza, who handed over his 997 at the pit stop to his co-equiper Nicolosi, who crossed the line first leading Eugenio Pisani. The driver from Genova is now very close to taking the title that he could secure in the next round in Vallelunga.


GTS: The duel involving the Porsche Cayman of Sabino De Castro and Neri-Veronesi (Kinetic Racing), this time with swapped positions, characterized also race-2. Ebimotors drivers claimed their fifth win of the season this time around. After trailing Veronesi in the first stint, De Castro had to serve 40s handicap time at the pitstop and rejoined third behind Neri and Marchetti (Ginetta G55), but the Italian driver managed to get the lead of the race proceeding his rivals Magnoni and Maino-Arrigosi that closed in the order. De Castro proceeds now Neri and Magnoni, respectively by 23 and 26 points.

 


On Twitter

@CIGranTurismo

@GTavoni