Imola, Roda-Rovera-Fuoco (Ferrari 488) take the victory in the 2nd round of the Italian GT Championship Endurance

AF Corse drivers led the Lamborghini Huracan of Kroes-Shandorff-Tujula and the sister car of Easy Race driven by Hudspeth-Michelotto-Greco. The top step of the GT4 podium went to Gnemmi-De Castro-Pera (Porsche Cayman) that proceeded Magnoni-Zarpellon (Mercedes AMG) and Guerra-Riccitelli-Neri (BMW M4).
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The second round of the Italian GT Championship Endurance held at the circuit of Imola smiled to Ferrari that took the victory in the three-hours long Endurance race with Giorgio Roda-Alessio Rovera-Antonio Fuoco in the 488 GT3. The AF Corse drivers proceeded Kroes-Schandorff-Tujula (Lamborghini Huracan- VSR) by 45”316s and Hudspeth-Michelotto-Greco (Ferrari 488-Easy Race) by 49"702s. Class GT4 was characterized by the BMW-Porsche-Mercedes duel. In this case, the Porsche Cayman (Ebimotors) of Gnemmi-De Castro-Pera had the upper hand and took the win leading the Mercedes AMG GT4 of Nova Race driven by Magnoni-Zarpellon and the BMW M4 GT4 (BMW Team Italia) of Guerra-Riccitelli-Neri. The 20 points collected with the win place AF Corse’s drivers on tip of the classification at 27 points. They are followed by Agostini and Mancinelli that are three points short of them. The GT4 classification is currently led by Gnemmi, De Castro and Pera with the full haul. They are followed by Guerra, Riccitelli and Neri.

RACE CLASSIFICATION

ENDURANCE OVERALL CLASSIFICATION

GT4 PRO/AM CLASSIFICATION

GT4 AM CLASSIFICATION

GT3

Pole position, the fastest lap of the race and victory by more than 45s. This is the splendid result secured by the drivers of AF Corse that dominated the whole weekend after the fourth place taken in Mugello’s season opener. The Ferrari’s lineup led the race throughout. Rovera managed it very well in the first stint when, despite the safety car, he managed to build a 15s lead on the sister car of Easy Race driven by Michelotto. Roda has then been as good pulling away in the second stint and handing the 488 over to Fuoco with more than 20s of margin on the closest rival. Despite a 10s time penalty due to irregular drivers’ change, the young Italian driver put in an impressive rhythm and crossed the finish line more than 45s clear of the Lamborghini Huracan of Kroes-Schandorff-Tujula. The drivers of VSR run a strong race. Always in the high-up positions since the beginning when Kroes got away from the fourth row of the grid and climbed up to P3. An unscheduled pit stop to fix the bonnet made them lose several positions, but Tujula promptly recovered them in the second stint and Schandorff in the third part of the race. The Danish driver found his way past the Ferrari of Hudspeth in the closing stage taking a well-deserved P2.

The second 488 on the podium has completed the masterpiece of Easy Race’s drivers. The very young – just 17 years old – Matteo Michelotto fought en-par for P2 with more experienced drivers. Matteo Greco has been as good and in the second stint, he managed the position behind the race leader, while Sean Hudspeth put in a constant third stint despite not managing to fend off the final attack moved by Schandorff.

Comandini-Zugg-Spengler ended at the feet of the podium in the BMW M6 GT3, as the Italian driver fought for the podium in the first stint, while the 17 years old German Marius Zug kept the lineup in the high-up places of the classification and the Canadian Bruno Spengler run the grand finale. The BMW Team Italia’s car led the Ferrari 488 of RS Racing driven by Daniele Di Amato that put in two great stints. In the first one, he managed to climb up to P2, while in the third he recovered several places lost by Vezzoni due to some brake issues. The drivers of the Rome-based team crossed the finish line ahead of the second Lamborghini fielded by VSR of Aghakhani-Giammaria-Pulcini. After a first stint by the American driver a bit on the back, Pulcini managed to climb up to P3, but then a few electronic issues voided his efforts and Giammaria in the final stint could not fend off Di Amato’s attacks ending sixth and ahead of the Audi R8 of Agostini-Mancinelli-Postiglione. Audi Sport Italia’s drivers, after winning in Mugello and having to serve the 30s time handicap, did not have a fast car in Imola but they are nevertheless close to the new classification leaders in the standings. Behind them, the two Porsche GT3 R of the German team Herberth Motorsport were driven by Alfred Renauer-Bohn and Robert Renauer-Allemann, while Venerosi-Baccani-Pera (Porsche GT3R-Ebimotors) were tenth and proceeded the Ferrari 488 of Mann-Cressoni (AF Corse).

Imperiale Racing’s Galbiati-Venturini-Frassineti had tough luck instead. They were expected to run a strong race after the second place in qualifying, but Galbiati went off at the Rivazza on lap four and the contact with the barriers damaged the rear wing. Linossi-Ferrari-Hites had a bad day too and retired when 12 laps were left to go after the excursion in the second stint and the following tyre problem and brake issues in the final stages.

GT4

Class GT4 has never seen Ebimotors challenged as the lineup took the win after the triumph in the opener in Mugello. Pera took the lead in the first stint finding his way past poleman Riccitelli on lap two handing the car over to Gnemmi with an 18s lead. In the third stint, De Castro managed well the gap built by his co-equipers crossing the finish line ahead of Guerra-Riccitelli-Neri, but the BWM drivers were handed a 2 minutes penalty due to the irregular drivers change and slipped down to P3. Magnoni-Zarpellon got the most of this penalty and took P2, and P1 of AM, while the second Ebimotors lineup, De Amicis-Di Giusto-Marchi, ended fourth leading the Mercedes AMG GT4 of Minella-Formenti-Manassero (Nova Race).

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THE PODIUM

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GNEMMI-DE CASTRO-PERA (PORSCHE CAYMAN GT4-EBIMOTORS)