Ferrari Shines Across Continents with Podiums and Class Wins in GT World Challenge and GT Open Action
Ferrari teams delivered a string of strong performances across Europe and the United States this past weekend, securing multiple podium finishes and class victories in a busy schedule of GT racing. Highlights included a second-place overall finish and a fourth in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup at Misano, while teams racing Ferrari 296 GT3 cars also claimed victories in the Bronze Cup and Gold Cup. Meanwhile, in the International GT Open at Paul Ricard, Ferrari enjoyed an overall Race-2 victory and a dominant showing in the Am class. Over in the United States, AF Corse USA added another win and a runner-up finish in the Am class at VIRginia International Raceway in the GT World Challenge America.
GT World Challenge Europe – Sprint Cup (Misano)
At the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, the third round of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup delivered a nail-biting weekend of action for Ferrari squads. The standout performance came from the No. 51 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari 296 GT3 driven by Vincent Abril and official Ferrari driver Alessio Rovera. The duo began their weekend on a high note, securing pole position in the opening qualifying session. In Race-1, they led for most of the race but were overtaken just seven minutes before the checkered flag, eventually finishing second. In Race-2, they once again showed consistent pace, staying among the front runners throughout and ending the race just shy of the podium in fourth place.
The sister No. 50 Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by official Ferrari drivers Arthur Leclerc and Thomas Neubauer, faced a tougher weekend. Their Race-1 ended prematurely due to multiple early-race incidents, which took out several cars. Race-2 didn’t fare much better, with the duo finishing in 24th place.
Emil Frey Racing also fielded a Ferrari 296 GT3 – the No. 14 entry piloted by Ben Green and Konsta Lappalainen. The pair managed solid results, finishing eighth in Race-1 and fifteenth in Race-2 at the fast-paced Misano circuit.
In the Silver Cup class, Jef Machiels and Marcos Siebert, driving the No. 52 AF Corse – Francorchamps Motors Ferrari, recorded two strong results, taking fifth in Race-1 and improving to fourth in Race-2.
Ferrari’s success extended to the Bronze Cup, where the No. 74 Kessel Racing Ferrari of Dustin Blattner and Dennis Marschall delivered a commanding performance in Race-1, taking the win after securing two pole positions—including the second-fastest time overall in qualifying. However, their Race-2 ended in disappointment after they received a penalty for contact at the start, eliminating their chances of another podium. Despite the setback, Blattner and Marschall retain the lead in the Bronze Cup standings.
Another notable Bronze Cup entry, the No. 93 Ziggo Sport Tempesta Ferrari 296 GT3 of Eddie Cheever and Marco Pulcini, also put in a respectable effort with seventh- and sixth-place finishes in their respective races.
In the Gold Cup, Chris Lulham and Thierry Vermeulen bounced back from a Race-1 retirement to take a convincing win in Race-2 for Emil Frey Racing’s No. 69 Ferrari 296 GT3.
The next round of the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup takes place in two weeks at Magny-Cours in France.
GT World Challenge America (VIR)
Across the Atlantic, Ferrari teams also made an impact in the fourth round of the GT World Challenge America at VIRginia International Raceway. AF Corse USA’s No. 163 Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Oswaldo Negri and Jay Schreibman, dominated the Am class with a win in one race and a second-place finish in the other.
Teammates Christian and Marcelo Hahn, piloting the No. 16 Ferrari in the Pro-Am class, showed promising pace early in Race-1, briefly leading the pack before eventually finishing ninth. They followed that with a stronger sixth-place finish in Race-2, rounding out a competitive weekend for the AF Corse USA squad.
GT World Challenge America resumes in early September at Barber Motorsports Park.
International GT Open (Paul Ricard)
Ferrari’s momentum carried over to the International GT Open series, which held its fifth round of the season at the Paul Ricard Circuit in France. The highlight was the first overall win of the season in Race-2 for the No. 51 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3, driven by Tommaso Mosca and Carl Bennett. Starting from pole position, the Italian-American pairing maintained their composure throughout a tightly contested race to take the checkered flag. They also managed a third-place finish in Race-1, marking a strong weekend overall.
In the Am class, AF Corse’s No. 21 Ferrari of Gino Forgione and Michele Rugolo delivered a near-perfect weekend, securing a one-two finish that further extended their championship lead to an impressive 88 points. The Polish duo of Stanislaw Jedliński and Krystian Korzeniowski, racing the No. 5 Olimp Racing Ferrari, also delivered solid results in the Am class with sixth and fourth-place finishes.
In the Pro class, the No. 17 Elite Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3, operated in partnership with Entire Race Engineering and driven by Tom Lebbon and Tom Emson, took home fifth and fourth-place finishes in the two races.
The next stop for the International GT Open series will be at Spielberg in Austria on September 7.
Ferrari’s diverse racing program continues to show strength across multiple continents and classes, as teams and drivers deliver impressive performances on some of the world’s most competitive circuits. With more rounds approaching in August and September, the prancing horse is poised to keep galloping toward further podiums and championship contention.
