The weekend at Suzuka saw the first podium of the season for the Ferrari 296 GT3 in the Super GT Japan thanks to third place for the Uni-Robo Bluegrass team. Conquest Racing secured seventh place in the IMSA round in Detroit, while at Imola, the third round of the Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship concluded with two victories and various podium finishes.
Super GT Japan. The Ferrari 296 GT3 secured its first podium of the season in the third round of the Super GT Japan, in the 3-hour race held on the Suzuka track. It was achieved by the number 6 of the Uni-Robo Bluegrass team with drivers Yoshiaki Katayama and Roberto Merhi Muntan. Third place was secured after a hard-fought race following a pre-race downpour, but the rapidly changing weather allowed the drivers to finish in dry track conditions. Sixth was the other Ferrari entry, the number 45 of the Ponos Racing team with Kei Cozzolino and France’s Prancing Horse official driver Lilou Wadoux.
The next championship race is scheduled at the Suzuka circuit from 31 August to 1 September.
IMSA. Ferrari Factory driver Daniel Serra started the Conquest Racing No. 35 Ferrari 296 GT3 fifth in the GTD Pro class, and quickly moved up to third position in the 100-minute event. Serra’s fight for a podium finish took a blow 25 minutes into the contest, when he was tagged from behind by the overall race leader and spun. The Brazilian managed to recover and pitted moments later, turning the Ferrari over to Conquest regular pilot Albert Costa.
Costa returned to the race in seventh with 1:11 remaining, and held that position until he began making moves on the extremely tight nine-turn, 1.654-mile circuit. He made two passes and was making his move for fifth when he was hit and spun with less than 10 minutes to go as the team suffered a second dose of bad racing luck. Costa regained control and continued in seventh. He managed to race up to fifth, but lost that position when he pitted on the white flag lap with driveshaft damage resulting from the contact.
Conquest Racing is expected to be joined by four other Ferrari teams in the next event on the IMSA SportsCar Championship, the Sahlen’s Six Hours of Watkins Glen on Sunday, June 23. Ferrari’s Risi Competizione, Triarsi Competizione, AF Corse and Cetilar Racing are competing in the five major races counting for the IMSA Endurance Cup.
CIGT Sprint. The Ferraris involved in the second round of the Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship, contested at the Imola circuit, had many reasons to be satisfied. In the first of the two scheduled races in the format, Lorenzo Bontempelli and Enzo Trulli took third place in the number 22 Ferrari 296 GT3 in the GT Pro Am class, while victory came in the GT Cup, in the Am 1st Division, thanks to Lorenzo Casè and Edoardo Borelli who managed to take top honours in the number 250 Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo of AF Corse, a result which also earned them second place overall.
In Race-2, third place overall went to the Finnish pair Konsta Lappalainen and Luka Nurmi in the number 52 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, a result clinched after a comeback from ninth spot on the starting grid. In the GT Cup, a win for the crew made up of Lorenzo Pegoraro and Simone Patrinicola in Best Lap’s Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo at the end of a race marked by three Safety Car incursions and numerous penalties that significantly changed the order at the finish. Third place for teammates Mattia Bucci and Filippo Croccolino in the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 178. In the GT Cup Am 1st Division, runner-up spot went to the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 205 of the Best Lap team with Ivan Mari and Gianluca Carboni.
The Italian Gran Turismo Championship will be back on the track from 14 to 16 June at Vallelunga with the first round of the Endurance series. The third round of the Sprint series is scheduled to take place from 23 to 25 August with the leg in Mugello.
(copyright pictutes Super GT: GTA)