After a little more than a month away, and after a torrid August, the Italian GT Championship will return to the same track as the previous round – the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari at Imola. The latest BoP that saw changes in almost all marques, but we suspect with very little resulting change in performance, will see again the Ferrari 458 Italias of Black Bull and the new 2013 team, MP1 Corse, the dominant factors this weekend. Maybe only the weather, with flash storms striking around the north of Italy this week, and the ever changing “fat lady” can prevent runaway victories for the “Cavallino Rampante” cars on their home soil.
The funny thing is that Postiglione and Lucchini still lead the standings in their EbiMotors Porsche, but their advantage is now cut down to less than 10 points. We can’t honestly see different winners this weekend – the Audis get no advantage in the latest BoP, the BMWs get very little and nothing in the engine compartment, and also the Lamborghini gets no break at all. The second Porsche of Mapelli-Passuti lost the right direction in recent rounds and the double zero scored at Mugello threw away any chances of title ambitions.
For Race 1, although Venturi-Maino – “hottest” pair in the series – will have to serve 25 seconds extra in their driver change, which could play a major role for at least for the podium places, in a year where every car and pair seems very well balanced, a little difference in times could easily cost three or four places.
Only 15 cars are entered; 9 in the GT3 class – still without the second Lamborghini, the Corvette, the SLS Mercedes and McLaren – while for the Cup class for the first time in the year we’ll have a different make which can win. A Lamborghini Gallardo Cup will be entered by the Imperiale Racing for Piancastelli-Durante.
The qualifying session will be held very late on Saturday and the two races, as always, early on Sunday morning for the first one and late afternoon for the second.
Gabriele Tosi
