Everything is ready in Imola: is it a Carrera Cup Italia for two?

In Imola from today to Sunday with 33 drivers at the start and an increasingly international parterre to which are added the British Oliver Gray (19 years old and a new talent joining Ombra Racing – Centro Porsche Torino) and Sacha Norden (23 years old to complete the trio of Dutch at the home of Enrico Fulgenzi Racing – Centro Porsche Udine), the Carrera Cup Italia faces its second round in 2024 and, given how things went in Misano, is already entering the heart of the season.

On the eve of the rankings of the Italian single-brand championship are still close but the points up for grabs will weigh heavily especially in the one that awards the overall title. If between the Rookies, where Francesco Braschi (Dinamic Motorsport – Centro Porsche Verona) leads, and in the Michelin Cup, led by Francesco Fenici (Raptor Engineering – Centri Porsche Roma), the situation still needs to be “diluted”, the chase for the crown is more coveted could take a more defined path already at the end of the weekend on the banks of the Santerno.

Spotlight on the two highly competitive races at the start Saturday at 3.20pm And Sunday at 12.00. Both races will be broadcast in live on Dazn, even in free mode: simply have an active subscription or go to www.dazn.com/home and, after clicking on one of the free contents on the homepage, register for free. The races will also be available in HD live streaming on www.carreracupitalia.it.

An armchair for two?

On the ups and downs of Imola’s 4909 meters the man to beat will be the current leader Larry Ten Voorde. The Dutch ace of Fulgenzi Racing, who will welcome Norden (coming from the Carrera Cup Benelux) as well as Flynt Schuring, who at just 17 years of age entered the top-10 in race 1 at Misano, is in the lead with just 4 points ahead of Keagan Masters.

The South African official bearer of Team Q8 Hi Perform managed to snatch the victory in race 2 at Misano, thus becoming the first real opponent of the reigning champion. Both come from the excellent weekend held in Monte Carlo in the Porsche Supercup: Ten Voorde won and Masters finished third on the first international podium of his season.

The previous round had been held in Imola. Needless to say, Ten Voorde had won, while the South African had finished eighth. The most interesting data, however, lies in the chronometric measurements: the Dutchman, in fact, started from pole position thanks to the 1’34”447 recorded in qualifying.

A stratospheric time for the 911 GT3 Cup in Imola, which among other things followed the 1’42″171 set in the pre-season test of the Carrera Cup Italia in April (which, however, must be taken with a grain of salt, as it is a test carried out, among other things, in optimal conditions and in cool conditions).

Will Masters, who had suffered a less than optimal qualification in the Supercup, be able to replicate the times of Ten Voorde. Saturday morning will be the moment of truth, but in the meantime there is a void behind the two of them. Almost.

Surprise top-5

Third in the standings is chasing a solid Francesco Braschi, currently the first Italian and increasingly in tune with the Porsche GT world after his time in single-seaters. The 19-year-old Catholic driver, thanks to a third (his first podium in the Carrera Cup) and a fourth place in Misano, was the brightest revelation among the under 23s of the Scholarship Program and also took command of the new Rookie classification, a leadership which in Imola he will have to defend against the sure attacks of Lirim Zendeli.

Making his debut in the world of the 911 GT3 Cup with Ombra Racing – Centro Porsche Bergamo, the 25-year-old German, former FIA Formula 2 and Formula 3, also shone on the Misano podium in race 2, placing himself in fourth place overall ahead of Aldo Festante (Centro Porsche Bologna), which completes the current top-5 with the second 911 GT3 Cup from Dinanic Motorsport.

A top-5 which, if it is true that at least partially surprised at the conclusion of the Misano stage, now arrives in Imola with further “fuel”: Braschi, Zendeli and Festante, in fact, also took part in the Supercup stage held in occasion of the Formula 1 GP.

SOS revenge

Simone Iaquinta and Marvin Klein were also at the start on May 19th. The list of “senators” who must go in search of immediate redemption in Imola so as not to allow Ten Voorde and Masters to run away begins precisely with the two double champions (Iaquinta in Italy and Klein in France).

With Prima Ghinzani – Centri Porsche di Milano Iaquinta had started well in Misano, demonstrating that he could compete at the top with his two foreign rivals, but in race 2 he suffered a premature retirement in the duel with Ten Voorde, just as in Imola in the Supercup he was involved in an unfortunate crash which, despite no fault of his own, put him out of contention at the first corner.

Not even a lap completed in the last two starts calls for an immediate rematch (and at Imola Iaquinta won the last race of 2023). Revenge is also in the sights of Klein, who will try to make up for it with Target Competition – Centro Porsche Bolzano also in the comparison with the surprising teammate Janne Stiak (Centro Porsche Trento).

The German driver, just turned 17, did well on his debut in the Italian series and together with Braschi is currently the only one from the Scholarship Program in the top-10 of the championship. Klein, on the other hand, paid the price above all for a less than optimal qualifying at Misano, but he comes from two positive tests in the Porsche Supercup, especially the one in Imola, where he lapped well in practice and got on the podium in the race.

Furthermore, just like Iaquinta, he won at the last round of 2023 last October, winning race 1 from pole (won in 1’43”062).

In Misano overall things went a little better for the Brescians Alberto Cerqui (BeDriver – Centro Porsche Piacenza) and Gianmarco Quaresmini (Tsunami RT – Centro Porsche Brescia), but even the 2021 champion and the 2018 and 2022 champion were unable to find the acute and are expected to test their pride. As well as Diego Bertonelli (The Driving Experiences – Porsche Centers in Rome).

Rookies and outsiders

Many new recruits are expected at the start over the weekend, in addition to the aforementioned Braschi, Gray and Stiak. Just like the latter, among the 2007 class, the youngest ever, Flavio Olivieri also restarts his engines with Raptor Engineering – Centro Porsche Catania and Nicholas Pujatti, capable of scoring the first points of his career in Misano on his absolute debut in the motor racing with Villorba Corse – Centro Porsche Treviso, a team in which he finds his teammate Steven Giacon, another young prospect.

Finally, between rookies and outsiders, the Pro line-up is completed by the fast Australian born in 2003 Bayley Hall, seasonal new entry of BeDriver – Centro Porsche Napoli, the 18 year old from Brescia Pietro Armanni (Prima Ghinzani – Centro Porsche Firenze), the 27 year old from Belluno Filippo Fant , chasing the first point with Team Malucelli – Centro Porsche Pesaro, as well as the American Anthony Imperato (Ombra Racing), and the two 2005 class of The Driving Experiences already in points at Misano: the German Daniel Gregor (Centro Porsche Parma) and the Austrian Horst Felix Felbermayr (Porsche Center Bari).

Michelin Cup

In the Imola stage there will be no shortage of Michelin Cup brawls. Ten will be competing for it, with the top two in the ranking reaching the second round trailing by just 2 points.

With a victory and a second place, Francesco Maria Fenici achieved his best start ever in the category. In his first season with Raptor Engineering, the driver from Lazio currently precedes Luca Pastorelli, who on his return with Dinamic Motorsport – Centro Porsche Modena in turn boasts first and third places obtained at Misano.

On the eve of Imola, third is chasing the reigning champion Alberto De Amicis (Ebimotors – Centro Porsche Verona), cohabiting with teammate Paolo Gnemmi and a lively Gianluca Giorgi (BeDriver – Centro Porsche Piacenza).

Having fallen off the podium at Misano, the already twice-titled Alex De Giacomi (Tsunami RT – Centro Porsche Latina) is aiming for a comeback. Cesare Brusa is therefore aiming for the first podium in the Michelin Cup, in his debut season in the Carrera Cup with Prima Ghinzani – Centro Porsche Padova and already progressing to Misano, while the outsiders will be Team Malucelli’s standard bearers Stefano Stefanelli (Centro Porsche Mantova) and Max Montagnese.

Imola’s new entry into the Michelin Cup comes from the Prima Ghinzani team, which, in addition to those of Iaquinta, Armanni and Brusa, fields a fourth 911 GT3 Cup for the Apulian gentleman driver Ilarione Introna (Porsche Centers of Milan), making his debut seasonal.

Complete program

The second round of 2024 starts on Friday 31 May with free practice, scheduled from 3.20pm to 4.20pm. Qualifying starts at 9.00 on Saturday morning and both starting grids will decide.

Also on Saturday, race 1 is expected at 3.20pm, while race 2 takes place on Sunday at 12.00pm to conclude the weekend. Both will be broadcast live on Dazn also in free mode and live streaming in HD on the official website www.carreracupitalia.it.

The rankings

Absolute: 1. Ten Voorde 50 points; 2. Masters 46; 3. Braschi 31; 4. Zendeli 25; 5. Festante 21; 6. Cerqui 20; 7. Quaresmini 19; 8. Iaquinta 14; 9. Stiak and Bertonelli 12.

Rookies: 1. Braschi 31 points; 2. Zendeli 25; 3. Gregor 7; 4. Pujatti 2.

Michelin Cup: 1. Phoenicians 27 points; 2. Little Shepherds 25; 3. De Amicis, Giorgi and Gnemmi 14.

Team: 1. Enrico Fulgenzi Racing and Dinamic Motorsport 61 points; 3. BeDriver 34; 4. Shadow Racing 29; 5. Prima Ghinzani Motorsport, Target Competition and The Driving Experiences 24.

Those registered in Imola