Scuderia Baldini wins home race in Vallelunga

The victory of the first round of the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship went to Scuderia Baldini from Rome, busy with the home race at Vallelunga circuit. The first round of the season saw Giancarlo Fisichella, Arthur Leclerc and Tommaso Mosca dominate over the rest of the grid to cross the finish line in first place. It was not easy for the trio behind the wheel of the Ferrari 296 GT3 to always stay ahead after the start from pole position, both for the difficult traffic management of the Autodromo Piero Taruffi in Vallelunga and for the competitiveness of the opponents, that tried more than once to threaten the n. #27 car.

Giancarlo Fisichella took care of the starting phase, who on new tyres managed to keep the lead throughout his stint. The first of the five pit stop windows saw the Roman driver leave room to Arthur Leclerc, the new entry of the Scuderia Baldini crew, who had already raced with Fisichella-Mosca in 2023. The Monegasque managed to bring the car back to the box still ahead of the group and to deliver it to Tommaso Mosca with a lead of about four seconds. The stint of the driver from Brescia was characterized by a long Full Course Yellow, exposed by the race direction after a crash, which allowed him to manage the tyres until the fourth pit stop, where Leclerc came back to the car. Although, the last two stints with Mosca and Fisichella behind the wheel, were not easy as they had been characterized by several off-tracks of the opponents and consequent neutralization of the race.

The comments of the drivers after the first win:

Giancarlo Fisichella:

“It was a fantastic day. Yesterday we got the pole, today we got everything right in terms of points, from those awarded in the hundredth minute and those of the victory. I mean, you couldn't ask for anything better. I am very happy and I must also thank Tommaso and Arthur, who were amazing without making any mistakes, and the team Scuderia Baldini. They handed me the car in first position and from there I was able to lead the last half hour of the race. It was really a fantastic day at my home circuit and it’s always a thrill.”

Tommaso Mosca:

“Today was a really good day, we did a good job, the car proved to be competitive and even though we are struggling a bit pace-wise, we won the first race. Both Arthur and Giancarlo have done a great job, so we just have to hope that the next round will be like this.”

Arthur Leclerc:

“I'm very happy with this weekend, we did a really good job. I have to thank Giancarlo and Tommaso, who did really amazing stints, and Scuderia Baldini, who made a big step forward from FP2 to FP3. We hope to achieve the same result at Mugello.”

Fabio Baldini, Team Principal:

“It's always nice to win here in Vallelunga. We came with a lot of attention, since for us it was the debut with the 296. The crew, although Tommaso and Giancarlo were with us last year, saw the entering of Arthur. It was great to see how all three professionals worked on the same page, making our job easier.”

The next round of the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship will be hosted by the Tuscan circuit of Mugello on 13/14 July. The goal of the team will be to try to replicate the result obtained in Vallelunga, where the pole position and the victory really gave the team so much confidence.

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