Weekend preview: CIGT Endurance and GT WC Europe seasons conclude

Ferrari already have two titles in the bag as they arrive at the final round of the Italian Gran Turismo Championship held at Vallelunga with ambitions of achieving further important results. The GT World Challenge Europe Sprint also wraps up its season with the Prancing Horse cars hoping to leave their mark at the Zandvoort track.

CIGT. The final showdown of the Italian Gran Turismo Championship endurance series at Vallelunga promises to determine the remaining titles, while the Giancarlo Fisichella and Tommaso Mosca pairing, driving the number 27 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 for Scuderia Baldini, have already secured the overall trophy.

The Maranello-manufacturer is also aiming for the Pro Am class title, with the Stefano Gai and Jules Castro pairing, on the track in the number 51 AF Corse-run Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020, leading the standings just two points clear of their closest pursuers. The Piacenza-based team will complete the crew on the ‘Pietro Taruffi’ circuit with young Eliseo Donno, one of the protagonists in the Trofeo Pirelli of the Ferrari Challenge Europe. 

In the GT Cup – a competition reserved for single-marque cars – the Pro Am class title has already been clinched by Luca Demarchi, Simone Patrinicola and Sabatino Di Mare, entered with Best Lap’s number 111 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo.

A tight challenge in the Am class, with the SR&R team still in the running in the overall standings thanks to the Simone Atzori and Manuel Menichini pairing in the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 251, who have achieved a win, a third and a fourth place in the three races held so far.

Two other Prancing Horse cars are entered in the same category: the number 269 of Easy Race courtesy of Francesco La Mazza, Luciano Linossi and Thomas Biagi, and the number 212 of Best Lap which will feature the crew of Giammarco Marzialetti alongside 17-year-old Vincenzo Scarpetta and Vito Postiglione from Potenza.

The final round of the season will get underway on Friday 13 with the first two Free Practice sessions, lasting one hour each, scheduled at 11.10 a.m. and 3 p.m., to be followed on Saturday 14 by the third session, also one hour long, kicking off at 9.05 a.m. The programme will continue with the three Qualifying sessions, from 3.20 p.m. to 4.25 p.m., which will determine the starting grid for the two-hour race scheduled for Sunday 15 at 12.00 p.m.

GT World Challenge Europe. The Dutch circuit of Zandvoort is set to host the final round of the championship season, which still has all the titles up for grabs in the Sprint series. Still mathematically in the running for the Pro class title, albeit 34.5 and 35 points behind the leader, Albert Costa and Thierry Vermeulen will take to the track, having previously claimed a couple of podium places in the round in Valencia at the wheel of the number 69 Emil Frey Racing-managed Ferrari 296 GT3. The Swiss team’s sister car, the number 14, will feature the crew of Konsta Lappalainen and Giacomo Altoè.

Meanwhile, a third Ferrari, the number 71 488 GT3 Evo, will represent AF Corse in the Silver Cup, with the crew made up of Sean Hudspeth and Nicola Marinangeli, who produced two fifth-place finishes in Hockenheim.

After Friday’s Free Practice and Pre-Qualifying, the first timed Practice session will be held on Saturday 14 at 9.35 a.m. leading to the grid of the one-hour Race-1, scheduled to get underway at 2 p.m. Sunday 15 will see a repeat schedule with Qualifying for Race-2 at 9.30 a.m. The 60-minute race is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.