Weekend notebook: titles in the GT WC Australia and Ultimate Cup

The weekend saw the conclusion of the GT World Challenge Australia Sprint Cup and the Ultimate Cup Series, securing four titles for Ferrari. At Bathurst, Arise Racing GT claimed the Sprint Cup in the Pro-Am class, with drivers Liam Talbot and Chaz Mostert taking victory in both the Endurance and Sprint standings for Pro-Am drivers. On the Le Castellet circuit, Francesco Atzori of SR&R rounded off a triumphant season in the Sprint Cup in the best possible way.

GT World Challenge Australia. With a second and a third place in the final two rounds on the Mount Panorama circuit at Bathurst, Arise Racing GT clinched the Pro-Am Sprint title for Teams in its debut season in the series with the Ferrari 296 GT3 number 1 driven by Liam Talbot and Chaz Mostert. At the final event of the season, both drivers became Pro Am Sprint Cup champions, while Talbot finished at the top of the Pro Am standings in the Endurance Cup.

Following a close-fought battle in the first one-hour race, where they finished in the runner-up spot, the Maranello car delivered an impressive comeback in Race-2, finishing on the third step of the podium—enough to secure the title. The second Arise Racing GT car, number 8, entrusted to Elliott Schutte and Jaxon Evans, after finishing sixth in the first race, was first to cross the finish line in Race-2 but was demoted to fourth following a 5-second penalty for an unsafe release from the pit lane.

Making its debut, the Ferrari 458 GT3 number 56 of Stephen Coe Racing, with Stephen Coe at the wheel, crossed the line first in the Trophy class in Race-1 but was forced to retire in Race-2 due to a spin.

Ultimate Cup Series. The season concluded with a second place overall, and also in the UCS1 class, for the French drivers Jean-Bernard Bouvet and Jean-Paul Pagny in the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 number 1 of Visiom, who celebrated their GT Endurance Cup Drivers' title, already secured mathematically in the previous round, at Paul Ricard. On this occasion, their fellow countryman Romain Iannetta also took to the track with the two champions.

Rounding off the year with one overall victory and several podium finishes, Francesco Atzori secured the Drivers’ title in the GT Sprint Cup at the wheel of the Ferrari 488 GT3 number 3 of Scuderia SR&R, also taking two first places in the UCS1 class and in the special Cavallino Tridente standings dedicated to Maranello cars.

Victory came for the team spearhead from Manfredi Ravetto and Paolo Ruberti in Race-2, while the runner-up spot in Race-4 handed him the win in UCS1 and in the Cavallino Tridente.

In this special standings, the winner of Race-1 was another SR&R driver, Lourenço Monteiro, in the 488 Challenge Evo number 353, who finished seventh overall. In Race-2, Lyle Schofield finished sixth in the same car, taking top honours in the UCS3 class, while Frédéric Lacore took eighth place, finishing third in the Cavallino Tridente, representing Racing Spirit of Leman. The Frenchman took the top step of the class podium in Race-3, ahead of Monteiro and Michellier, and emerged as the best in UCS3, finishing seventh overall. In the final race held on Sunday morning, Atzori was followed in the Cavallino Tridente standings by Lacore and Michellier, who finished fifth and tenth overall, respectively.