Monza, victory and Italian GT Endurance title to Drudi-Ferrari-Agostini (Audi R8 LMS)

Audi Sport Italia's drivers have been crowned champions in the closing race of the season that they ended on the top step of the podium proceeding Di Folco-Amici-Middleton and Gai-Zampieri in the final classification. The GT Cup title went to Demarchi-Risitano-Barbolini, the final victory of GT4 went to Neri-Fascicolo-Nilsson.
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Mattia Drudi, Lorenzo Ferrari and Riccardo Agostini, Audi R8 LMS, won the Italian GT Endurance 2021 Championship at the end of a closing race that has been wet in its final stages. The Audi Sport Italia’s lineup celebrated in the best possible way the title getting on the top step of the podium and leading Di Folco-Amici-Middleton (Lamborghini Huracan-Imperiale Racing), that were second in the championship, and Gai-Zampieri (Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo-Scuderia Baldini), which were third. The other GT3 titles went to Simon Mann (PRO-AM) and Magnoni-Zanotti (AM), while the Italian title of GT Cup was won by Demarchi-Risitano-Barbolini (Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo). The final victory of GT4 went to Neri-Fascicolo-Nilsson in the BMW M4 GT4.

RACE CLASSIFICATION

GT3: The fourth and closing race of the Endurance series has been quite tough with the rain falling in the final 20 minutes defining the final result. Mattia Drudi came to the fore in the third stint as the decision to keep the slick tyres has been the right one and he managed to award Audi Sport Italia with the second Italian title after the Sprint one claimed in Mugello. The other two Audi co-equipers, Riccardo Agostini and Lorenzo Ferrari have also been very strong. Following a difficult start, the driver from Padova managed to stay close to the two pace-setters, Amici and Zampieri, while the young driver from Piacenza, despite going wide at the first chicane, kept P3 and handed the car over to Drudi, who completed the masterpiece. The young driver from Rimini has been great and, as the other title contenders decided to fit the rain tyres, he stayed on track despite the difficulties on the slick tyres, making a good display of the skills of the great champion that Mattia is!

Lamborghini’s drivers could not do anything to challenge him, despite qualifying saw Imperiale Racing setting a splendid pole position. Amici has been very good keeping the lead for the whole first stint, then Middleton did a great job in the second part of the race keeping the lead without hesitations. In the closing stages, Di Folco pulled away on his rivals building more than 30s of margin on the Ferrari of Gai and Zampieri and 50s on Drudi, but this was not enough for Imperiale Racing’s driver to win the race and take the title. The pit stop to fit rain tyres by both cars allowed Drudi to take the lead of the race and keep it until the chequered flag. He crossed the finish line ahead of the Lamborghini and the Ferrari of Scuderia Baldini in the order.

The second Audi car, Salaquarda-Mancinelli-Postiglione ended close to the podium leading Comandini-Zug-Spengler (BMW M6 GT3) and the two AF Corse’s lineups in the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo: Hudspeth-Schreiner-Rigon and Mann-Vilander. The first place in GT3 PRO-AM allowed the 18-year-old from the United States of America Simon Mann to take the Italian title of this category, repeating the win of GT3 PRO-AM Sprint.

The top ten was rounded off by the three Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo of Earle-Schirò-Perel (Kessel Racing), which allowed Earle and Perel to win GT3 PRO-AM, Di Amato-Vezzoni (RS Racing), that were third in GT3 PRO-AM, and Greco-Hoffer (Easy Race), while the 11th position went to Magnoni-Zanotti (Honda NSX GT3), which won the Italian GT3 AM championship.

GT CUP/GT4: The new Italian GT Cup Champions Luca Demarchi, Nicholas Risitano and Edoardo Barbolini run a nice catwalk, but the SR&R drivers did not hold anything back and won the race from teammates Baratto-“Aramis”-Bacci (Ferrari 458 Challenge). Demarchi-Risitano-Barbolini claimed the second win in Monza after that taken in Pergusa at the beginning of the season. They have been assisted very well by the team of Ravetto & Ruberti, that fielded a second car allowing “Aramis” to take second place and the title of vice-champion. The final victory of GT4 with full haul was secured by Neri, Giuseppe Fascicolo and Alfred Nilsson, in the BMW M4 GT4 run by Ceccato Racing, as they won also the closing race of the season.

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DEMARCHI-RISITANO-BARBOLINI (FERRARI 488 CHALLENGE EVO) - ITALIAN GT CUP CHAMPIONS