Vito Postiglione and the Dutch Jeroen Mul (Lamborghini Huracan) secured the first win of the Italian GT Championship Sprint 2019 at the circuit of Vallelunga. Imperiale Racing’s pairing ended the race after 52’26.784s proceeding Riccardo Agostini-Alessio Rovera (Mercedes AMG GT3-Antonelli Motorsport) by 17”984s and Lorenzo Veglia-Lorenzo Casè (Ferrari 488-Easy Race) by 19”555s.

The top step of the podium of GT Light went to Alberto Lippi-Giorgio Sernagiotto (Ferrari 458 Italia-Ram Autoracing/Iron Lynx), while Simone Riccitelli-Sabino De Castro (Porsche Cayman-Ebimotors) won the GT4 race. Race-2 will take place tomorrow at 14.40 with live TV coverage on Raisport, and recorded broadcast on AutomotoTV and web streaming at www.Raiplay.it, www.acisport.it/CIGT and Facebook page of the championship www.facebook.com/CIGranTurismo.

GT3: A deserved victory went Postiglione-Mul’s ways. This success was constructed by the expert Italian driver and has been finally taken by the 28 years old Dutch driver in the second part of the race despite a safety car voiding the advantage that Imperiale Racing’s drivers accumulated. Started from the second row, Postiglione took the lead on lap three finding his way past poleman Fontana and pulling away since the beginning. The safety car at lap eight compacted the group again, but Mul, who took over from Postiglione, did not have problems to keep rivals at bat ending the race with a 17s advantage on Riccardo Agostini. The Antonelli Motorsport’s driver and co-equiper Alessio Rovera run a great race, despite a hiccup at the last lap due to a wrong setting on the pedals of his Mercedes AMG GT3 at the drivers’ change. The second place of the Antonelli Motorsport’s drivers started in two great qualifying sessions and a great first stint put in by Rovera, who kept P2 after getting past Fontana on lap four.

The third step of the podium went to Lorenzo Casè, who was fifth at the end of the first stint, and Lorenzo Veglia, who recovered in the second part of the race and completed a successful overtaking move on Johansson. The pairing made by Sean Hudspeth and Antonio Fuoco followed. The 22 years old Italian driver run a good recovery race that led AF Corse’s driver close to the podium leading Comandini-Johansson (BMW M6 GT3) and Fontana-Kaffer (Audi R8 LMS). Audi Sport Italia struggled a bit to get to grips with a little “nervous” car (as reported by the poleman) and a not great restart after the safety car. They proceeded the two Mercedes AMG of Palma-Larini and Nicola Baldan at the flag. The top ten was completed by Lippi-Sernagiotto, that won GT Light and Cuneo-Magnoni (Lamborghini Huracan GT3), as the latter topped AM.

Perolini-Gersekoswki were hit by bad luck and retired at the start (that was later on repeated) following contact with a rival, while Di Amato-Vezzoni, were penalized in the second part of the race by some problems to the turbine when the Italian was high up the field.

GT LIGHT

Fair and square victory in GT Light for Alberto Lippi and Giorgio Sernagiotto on the Ferrari 458 Italia run by Ram Autoracing-Iron Lynx. Sernagiotto got the most of the pole position in this class at the start and took the lead from La Mazza to Sauto, who had an incident on lap eight. The driver from Catania had the worst of it, got beached in the gravel trap before having to pit with a puncture, while Pisani, who took over from Sauto, had to serve a drive-through that did not prevent Duell Motorsport from taking the second step of the podium ahead of Paolino-Jirik on the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo of Iron Lynx.

GT4

Porsche led the pack in the entry-level class with Simone Riccitelli and Sabino De Castro that proceeded the Ginetta G55 of Luca Magnoni (Nova Race), who won the Endurance race in Monza, and the BMW M4 of Fascicolo-Guerra (BMW Team Italia). The victory of Ebimotors’ pairing was quite remarkable also due to the age of the young Riccitelli, who his only 16 years old and secured his maiden win in career. A strong work by De Castro in the first stint put Riccitelli in a good position and the latter managed to have the best of Fascicolo. The BMW driver took over from Guerra, who held the lead for a long time, but he had to concede his position to Riccitelli first and to Magnoni afterwards, while Ghezzi-Camathias (Porsche Cayman-Autorlando) closed their effort in fourth place leading Marchetti-Mantori (Ginetta G55-Nova Race), Mattia Michelotto (Sin R1-Antonelli Motorsport), Piccioli-Costa (Porche Cayman-Ebimotors) and teammates Cerati-Chiesa.

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