Scuderia Villorba Corse drivers Leonardo Moncini and Rodrigo Testa turned their first pole position as a pairing into an International GT Open Race 1 victory at the Hockenheimring today.
Moncini put the #63 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 on pole this morning, and with his teammate, converted it into their first win together and the team’s first championship win since Paul Ricard in 2015.
The result also marked the first GT Open win for a Lamborghini in four years since Oregon’s Alessio Deledda and Jordan Pepper won Race 1 at the 2022 Red Bull Ring event.
This 70-minute sprint race was interrupted by one safety car period for Seweryn Mazur’s #79 Sendom Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, which spun around at the Einfahrt Autodrom (Turn 12) and got himself stuck in the gravel trap. Tomasz Magdziarz was behind him and spun his #67 Förch Racing by Atlas Ward Porsche 911 GT3 R Evo on his own accord in avoidance but continued.
Moncini initially extended his lead during the opening stint before the safety car reset brought the field together. Afterwards, Moncini faced significant pressure once the track was green again from #33 Greystone GT McLaren GT3 Evo driver Dean Macdonald.
Their fight proceeded right to the pit lane, but the Greystone #33 McLaren’s pit-stop handicap gave Testa some breathing room in the lead after their pit stops, extending the gap beyond 13 seconds after 40 laps of racing.
“Perfect start, the car was mega over the stint,” said Moncini after joining Testa as the fifth different winners of the 2026 season.
“I had a little problem on the brakes, but I tried to manage it and today was mega simply from the qualifying.”
“Everything was going alright,” added Testa. “Leo did a mega first stint right from pole. It’s really well-deserved for the team.
“I think we struggled in the championship [standings] and we didn’t expect to have a victory here.
“It’s really nice and a really good feeling, and we want to keep the momentum going for Race 2 and for the other races as well.”
Whilst Moncini retained his lead on Macdonald’s #33 McLaren, Tom Lebbon executed a move on the inside line in his #17 Elite Motorsport Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo, surging from sixth to third place at the opening corner.
McKenzy Cresswell struggled by comparison, falling from third to sixth in his #44 Greystone GT McLaren and Dominik Baumann in the #28 Motopark Mercedes quickly put him under strain behind in P7.
Fortunately, after the safety car period, Cresswell redeemed himself by jumping into P4, keeping the #71 Motopark AMG driver Christian Mansell and #96 AF Corse Ferrari driver Lorenzo Ferrari behind.
Mansell was the first car in the Pro category to pit from P5, handing the #71 Motopark Mercedes over to home hero Maximilian Götz.
Behind Scuderia Villorba Corse’s winning car, the battles for second and third were hotly contested in the closing stages.
Zac Meakin (#33 Greystone GT) and #51 AF Corse Ferrari driver Tomasco Mosca were door-to-door throughout the final sector, although Meakin prevailed and held onto P2 towards the finish.
Alex Fontana and Pietro Armanni took fourth place in the #911 ZRS Motorsport Porsche after a hard-earned effort, particularly by Fontana in his battle against the #44 Greystone GT McLaren driven by Alejandro Geppert, who finished fifth.
Tom Lebbon and Tom Emson served a significant pit handicap time in the championship-leading #17 Elite Ferrari, so Emson fought his way in a busy midfield into P6, succeeding against Götz’s #71 Mercedes and then Yaroslav Vesalaho’s #96 AF Corse Ferrari.
Crucially, Elite retain the championship lead ahead of their nearest threat, the #71 Motopark Mercedes (Mansell/Götz). Marcelo Ramírez brought the #28 Motopark Mercedes ninth overall.
Pro-Am class winner Yannick Mettler won with his teammate Dexter Müller in the #54 CBRX by SPS Mercedes, with Mettler having fended off Karol Basz’s #777 Olimp Ferrari on the final laps.
Team ISR’s #75 Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO 2 was second in Pro-Am with Libor Milota/Filip Salaquarda. Salaquarda ran wide at the Parabolika, enabling Mettler’s run on the #75 Audi and took the lead with four minutes remaining.
Debutants Doublett Racing finished 12th overall in their #62 Ferrari (Leonardo Colavita/Gilles Renmans), as James Kell claimed third in the #9 Track Focused McLaren with his son Darren Kell.
Aston Martin factory driver Jonny Adam brought the #97 Blackthorn Vantage AMR GT3 Evo in Pro-Am fourth position with his teammate Charles Bateman.
Basz lost out in the end, finishing P5 in Pro-Am in the #777 Olimp Ferrari with Marcin Jedliński.
The #26 Saintéloc Audi was the only team opting to use their professional-graded driver for qualifying and therefore the opening stint, unfortunately not paying off with the safety car period, taking P6 in Pro-Am for Jim Pla/Michaël Blanchemain.
Next in the order was Am class winner Joel Monegro in the #12 Fach Auto Tech Porsche, which started from class-pole and retained its position comfortably to the end.
Adrian Lewandowski brought the #6 Baron Motorsport Ferrari second in Am, with his father Andrzej, ahead of the #77 Grupo Prom Mercedes of Alfredo Hernández.
Multiple cars ran into issues, primarily with the #11 Fach Auto Tech Porsche having been clipped on the rear-right by Mazur on the opening lap, and driver Alexander Schwarzer returned to the pit lane.
Oliver Webb, after taking over the #24 Greystone GT McLaren, ran into issues, as did Am championship contender Marcelo Hahn, who parked his #16 AF Corse Ferrari behind the barriers.
Qualifying 2 continues this weekend’s action at 09:05 CEST tomorrow, Sunday 13 September.
Images courtesy of GT Sport
