Three Porsche on the podium of Monza's race two. Victory to Donativi-Gagliardini from Beretta-Carboni to Bianco-Babini

The cars from Stuttgart dominated at the end of a nice and tight race. Fourth place to the Ferrari of Magli-Ferrara, closing ahead of the new entry Nissan GT-R of Bontempelli-Caccia. Bad luck again for Lamborghini and Audi. Iacone-Tempesta (Lamborghini Gallardo) clinched the win in GT Cup.

Image
A podium filled with Porsche colors ended race-2 in Monza's second round of the Italian GT Championship. The German GT3R have been uncatchable and allowed Donativi-Gagliardini (Ebimotors) to take the first win of the season ahead of Autorlando's Beretta-Carboni and Bianco-Babini, all three within only 25 hundredths of a second at the chequered flag.

Donativi and Gagliardini jumped on top of the GT3 classification thanks to this victory and reached 37 points, they are followed by Carboni and Beretta (34) and then by Mapelli and Schoeffler (31).
Tempesta-Iacone (Lamborghini Gallardo-Bonaldi Motorsport) crossed the finish line on top of GT Cup, ahead of the two Porsche of Antonelli Motorsport, the first being the one driven by Galbiati-Passuti, that confirmed to be the classification leaders with 55 points, and that of Baccani-Venerosi.

The commentary: The race has been really tight and full of twists with a lot of spectacle on track. Mapelli skillfully got the lead despite starting from the second row, while Amici, Lancieri and Zonzini followed him, but the St. Marin's driver conceded his position to Gagliardini during the first lap. In GT Cup, Schiattarella got the lead ahead of Zanardini and Maestri.

Amici moved an attack to Mapelli at lap 5 but he went wide at the first chicane and lost contact with the Audi driver. At the following lap, Carboni managed to get past Zonzini, while Zanardini took Schiattarella gaining the lead of GT Cup.

The Portuguese driver Mora got sanded at the second chicane during lap 7 and Magli inherited P8, while Amici got the lead of the race at lap 9 thanks to a very good overtaking move to Mapelli. Carboni and Zonzini started instead a red hot duel for P5.

A car stranded at the Ascari chicane forced race direction to deploy the safety car at lap 11. All drivers, except the leading couple Amici and Mapelli, got into the pits for the mandatory drivers' change and at the restart Benucci – who replaced Lancieri – got the lead ahead of Donativi, who was on Gagliardini's car, while Capello, Ferrara, Beretta, Babini, Bontempelli and Frassineti followed in order. Barri and Schoeffler, instead replaced respectively Amici and Mapelli, and rejoined in the mid field. In GT Cup "El Pato" got the lead ahead of Bodega and Iacone.

The race neutralization had the effect of keeping positions close, and the race was quite tight with Beretta taking Ferrara and Capello at lap 14, while Benucci had to give away his leadership to Donativi at the following lap. The MP1 driver could not defend his position and in the same lap he had to concede his place to Beretta, Capello, Ferrara and shortly afterwards to Babini. An unleashed Barri started his comeback from the low part of the field but at lap 16 at the Parabolica braking tried to overtake Bontempelli but hit a flawless Benucci who finished his run on the gravel trap. In GT Cup, Passuti who took over from Galbiati got the third place behind "El Pato" and Iacone.

Six drivers were in the hunt for the top step of the podium and the race had a lot of emotions still to award a Babini managed to get past Ferrara at the Ascari chicane during lap 19, getting also the slipstream of Capello that he managed to overtake at lap 22. Donativi managed to keep Beretta at bayand then Babini, Capello, Ferrara, Bontempelli and Frassineti, all within a bit more than three seconds. The race was not over though. Babini started shadowing Beretta at lap 23 while Ferrara and Capello hit each other at the 2nd of Lesmo. The driver from Asti had the worst of it and slipped down into seventh place behind Bontempelli and Frassineti. A tire dechapping stripped "El Pato” of the GT Cup lead, that was inherited by Iacone who proceeded Passuti and Baccani.

The last lap had some more emotions in store, as Beretta overtook Donativi cutting a chicane, but in the post race the Autorlando driver was pushed down to the second place. Donativi-Gagliardini finished on the top step of the podium, followed by Beretta-Carboni and Bianco-Babini. The fourth place went to Magli-Ferrara that proceeded Bontempelli-Caccia, Capello-Zonzini, Frassineti-Necchi, Mapelli-Schoeffler, Amici-Barri and Tempesta-Iacone, with the latter that clinched the victory in GT Cup proceeding Galbiati-Passuti and Baccani-Venerosi.

On Twitter
@CIGranTurismo
@GTavoni