The collective tests of the Porsche Carrera Cup Italia in view of the 2024 season have just concluded in Imola with the best time of Larry Ten Voorde. A spring Thursday made the most of the reigning Dutch champion, who after 1'42″201 obtained in the morning session, in the afternoon he improved further by lapping in 1'42”171.
High profile results with only Marvin Klein and Lirim Zendeli behind the EF Racing standard-bearer capable of breaking down the barrier of 1 and 43. The two-time French champion took the Target Competition 911 GT3 Cup to second place of the day in 1'42”926, followed by just a few thousandths of a second from the new Ombra Racing rider. Zendeli, who at 25 years old makes his debut in GT after a good past in formulas, was perhaps the most positive note of the day.
The German driver showed notable progression in his times and in the final he placed himself among the best, even overtaking an equally excellent Francesco Braschi in the new Rookie category. The 19-year-old Catholic driver of Dinamic Motorsport was also the protagonist of a continuously growing day and stopped just one tenth behind Klein, setting the fifth fastest time.
Keagan Masters, author of the fourth fastest time, was inserted between the two new players. Upon his “permanent” return to the Italian single-make team, the South African achieved an encouraging 1'43″063 in his first official outing with Team Q8 Hi Perform.
At the limits of the top-5, behind Ten Voorde, Klein, Zendeli, Masters and Braschi (who was therefore also the fastest Italian and the under of the Scholarship Program in the tests), the two-time champion Simone Iaquinta (Prima Ghinzani Motorsport) he finished sixth in 1'43”165, preceding Alberto Cerqui by nil. The Brescian from BeDriver and 2021 champion is seventh of the day despite engine problems that forced him into the pits for a long time.
With close times, the top-10 is therefore completed by three other protagonists expected at the top also in the championship: Aldo Festante (Dinamic Motorsport) finished eighth followed by a gap from the already two-time champion Gianmarco Quaresmini (Tsunami RT), while two tenths went to Diego Bertonelli (TDE).
Among the rookies, Nicholas Pujatti (Villorba Corse) was unable to improve on his morning time (also due to an outing on the gravel), but with the 14th overall time the youngest of the lot (16 years old last December) was the third among those registered in the rookie category.
In all, 28 drivers and 13 teams were registered for the pre-season shakedown, with Giorgio Amati added along the way as Francesco Fenici's driver coach within the Raptor team (same role as Matteo Malucelli with Stefano Stefanelli).
In reference to the gentleman drivers of the Michelin Cup, Gianluca Giorgi, improving his morning time by two tenths, confirmed himself at the top with 19th overall in 1'44”323. The BeDriver standard-bearer preceded in class the Ebimotors duo formed by Paolo Gnemmi, trailing by just 98 thousandths, and the reigning champion Alberto De Amicis, third by two tenths.
Even in the afternoon session there were several moments of stopping due to red flags, mostly due to the gravel outings of Steven Giacon, Cesare Brusa, Aldo Festante, Fenici, Alex De Giacomi and the aforementioned Pujatti.
Following this preview on the 4909 meters of the Santerno circuit, the Porsche Italia single-make series now heads to the first stage of 2024, scheduled for the Misano World Circuit on 3-5 May.
Growing numbers are expected compared to the test with an entry list that promises to be even more substantial (it will go well beyond 30 members) and a prediction that at the moment leaves Ten Voorde all too easily “in pole” and which will be more precise when everyone has discovered their cards in the first qualifying of the season.
The times of the shakedown
1. Ten Voorde (EF Racing) 1'42″171
2. Klein (Target) 1'42″926
3. Zendeli (Shadow) 1'42″965
4. Masters (Q8 Hi Perform) 1'43″063
5. Braschi (Dinamic) 1'43″080
6. Iaquinta (Ghinzani) 1'43″165
7. Cerqui (BeDriver) 1'43″180
8. Festante (Dinamic) 1'43″355
9. Quaresmini (Tsunami) 1'43″362
10. Bertonelli (TDE) 1'43″561
11. Armanni (Ghinzani) 1'43″656 (morning)
12. Stiak (Target) 1'43″86
13. Felbermayr (TDE) 1'43″735 (morning)
14. Pujatti (Villorba) 1'43″873 (morning)
15. M. Malucelli (Team Malucelli) 1'43″917
16. Gregor (TDE) 1'44″074
17. Amati (Raptor) 1'44″139
18. Giacon (Villorba) 1'44″230
19. Giorgi (BeDriver) 1'44″323
20. Gnemmi (Ebimotors) 1'44″421
21. Olivieri (Raptor) 1'44″450
22. De Amicis (Ebimotors) 1'44″586
23. De Giacomi (Tsunami) 1'44″873
24. Stefanelli (Team Malucelli) 1'44″983 (morning)
25. Brusa (Ghinzani) 1'45″330 (morning)
26. Phoenicians (Raptor) 1'45″342
27. Fant (Team Malucelli) 1'45″356
28. Montagnese (Team Malucelli) 1'46″422
29. Introna (Ghinzani) 1'47″921
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