The Italian GT Endurance Championship is ready to restart, here are the statements of some of the protagonists
- Camilla Coletta
- Jun 13, 2024
- 4 min read
Meanwhile the Italian GT Sprint Championship has already closed its second round, now it’s time to start again for the Endurance series. While last year Vallelunga was the closing race, this year the Roman circuit will host the first stage of the championship that sees at its start 35 cars. Among the many protagonists of the series, we heard what the goals and feelings of some of them are before the lights go off at the first race.
Kikko Galbiati: "We aim for victory now and we will try hard to succeed"
In 2023, Scuderia Best Lap’s number 111 Ferrari won the title in the GT Cup Pro Am category, and the 125 EF Racing Porsche, which finished second, led by Vicky Piria and Kikko Galbiati. The latter spoke to Race Diary ahead of the start of the season:
“I am very happy to finally announce my participation in the Italian championship with EF racing."
This year alongside Galbiati there will be Enrico Fulgenzi and they will get behind the wheel of a new car, the Porsche GT3 R #17 of EF Racing in the GT3 category.
"We started our adventure last year in the GT Cup where we won 2 races out of 3. This year as soon as the call came from Enrico, I did not hesitate even a moment and we immediately decided to continue together. I couldn’t ask for anything better as I feel at home with the team. The car is new but despite everything we aim immediately for victory, and we will try hard to succeed."
Added Galbiati.
Sabatino di Mare: "I can’t wait to get in the car, I will give 111%"
We also went to knock at Ferrari where we talked to Sabatino di Mare, a young driver from Scuderia Best Lap who last year, together with his teammates Luca De Marchi and Simone Patrinicola, was the protagonist of the Italian championship in the GT Cup Pro Am category. In 2024 the trio will take to the track again onboard of the Ferrari 488 Challenge #111 to defend the title. We asked Sabatino what his feelings were before the first round, "very positive sensations" he stated:
"I can’t wait to get in the car, I’ll give 111% because that’s what you have to do in these cases. If we talk about goals, surely replicate the result of last year and so win the Italian championship again, but it is tough and long because this year endurance races will last 3 hours and there will be 6 mini-sprint races, if you can say so. The goal is to win and bring home as many points as possible. Vallelunga is one of my favorite tracks in Italy, but we are a bit 'disadvantaged’ compared to the competition, hopefully with a suitable BOP because last year we were a little' out of weight and this made us sweat a lot. But the car, despite the years and the few developments that have rightly stopped on the Cup, remains the car to beat. Just see who has excelled in recent years in the Cup, has always been Ferrari! The season is to be evaluated at the turning point, already from the second race you will begin to understand how the situation turns. The race that I cannot wait to do, that I missed for two years, is that of Imola. I think that our technical package is at the top there, even in Monza, at those races we will have to work hard. As for Vallelunga and Mugello we will have to limit the damage but still attack."
In fact, in 2024 the races of the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship will go up to a duration of 3 hours, against the 2h of last year. Di Mare also commented on this novelty of the championship:
"This new format allows us to always be with new tires and a different strategy, it can make us smile for real!"
Eliseo Donno: "the only goal is to win"
Also at Ferrari, we talked to another driver, the young Eliseo Donno, who is back in the CIGT Endurance after some races in 2022, This year he will face the season alongside Alessandro Brancalente with the AF Corse team in the PRO Am category with the Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020. Here are Donno’s words ahead of the first round:
"My feelings about the championship are extremely positive, I am very excited to race together with the AF Corse team that always shows excellent and professional preparation"
About his teammate, Alessandro Brancalente, and the championship Eliseo continued:
"My teammate is demonstrating his skills lap after lap. The Italian championship this year is very competitive, both for the cars that have been added and for the drivers, but both me and my partner remain focused with the only goal that is to win."
Riccardo Cazzaniga: "the goal is clear and simple: to win the championship"
Class '97 Riccardo Cazzaniga will take to the track aboard the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with the colours of Vincenzo Sospiri Racing. Alongside the young driver there will be the 2022 GT3 Series Endurance Champion Edoardo Liberati and Alberto di Folco.
"We go to Vallelunga very positive. On paper we think we are a very good crew, and the package should be up to par, so the goal is clear and simple: win the championship."
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