Cédric Sbirrazzuoli, a respected competitor in numerous GT3 racing series across North America and Europe, died Thursday after a bout with cancer, on the day of his 39th birthday.
The Monegasque driver raced for over 20 years, starting in Italy’s single-seater ladder before going on to achieve greater success in one-make racing and GT competition. Sbirrazzuoli took the 2011 Trofeo Maserati World Series championship title with powerhouse team AF Corse, and in 2016, he finished third in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final at Jérez, coming off a strong season in the North American series.
Sbirrazzuoli’s first break in GT3 competition came in the 2014 European Le Mans Series, when AF Corse entered him in a Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 alongside Adrien De Leener.
He went on to take podium finishes in both the European and Asian Le Mans Series, wins in GT World Challenge Europe and the Italian GT Championship, and Invitational class honours at the 2024 Bathurst 12 Hour Race behind the wheel of an Australian-built IRC GT.
In IMSA, Sbirrazzuoli entered 19 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races across two separate stints, his first beginning in 2016 with Dream Racing Motorsports. He finished sixth at that year’s Petit Le Mans in Road Atlanta, his best finish in two seasons with the Lamborghini customer team.
Nearly a decade later in 2024, Sbirrazzuoli returned to IMSA as Conquest Racing’s third driver for Michelin Endurance Cup races – it also marked the return of Conquest Racing to IMSA for the first time in more than a decade. Alongside Manny Franco and Albert Costa, Sbirrazzuoli and Conquest Racing finished third at the Rolex 24 At Daytona, second in the Six Hours of Watkins Glen, and in the season finale at Petit Le Mans, scored his first IMSA win, and the team’s first since 2012.
His final two appearances in IMSA came in 2025 when he raced at Daytona and Sebring, finishing 14th and seventh in class.
Sbirrazzuoli’s tragic death came two years and one day after his friend and fellow racer Luca Persiani was killed in a road accident in Italy.
Michelle Gatting, best known for her time as the star driver for Iron Dames in recent years, touched on the connection between the two in her tribute, writing, “Today, Luca was joined in heaven by his close friend Cédric. It’s incredibly hard to believe that another truly amazing human being has left this world far too soon.
“Cédric fought cancer with everything he had, but sadly, it was a battle he couldn’t win. What I do know is that he lived his life to the fullest – and maybe that’s something we should all carry with us. Because damn, life can be so incredibly short.
“Now there are two amazing human beings up there, reunited, looking down on us – probably hoping that we make the most of every moment, laugh a little louder, love a little harder, and live life just as fully as they did.”
The AF Corse team, with which Sbirrazzuoli spent most of his European career, also wrote: “You were a highly talented, determined and professional driver, with the passion and the will to win that are unique to those who truly love racing.
“But you were also so much more: a genuine, respectful and cheerful person, capable of bringing wholesome enthusiasm and your own special way of living out your passion for motorsport.
“It was a privilege to work and dream together. Your race came to an end far too soon. Your memory will continue to race on forever. We send our warmest thoughts to your wife (Martina), your parents and all your loved ones. Farewell, Cedric. Rest in peace.”
DSC would like to extend its condolences to the Sbirrazzuoli family, and to Cédrics many fellow racers and colleagues throughout the sports car racing world.
Feature image © AF Corse
Additional images © Peter ‘Pedro’ May, David Lord, Jack Webster / Dailysportscar.com
