CIGT Endurance Misano | 08-10 May 2026
Imperiale Racing secures Pro-Am podium in the opening round of the Italian GT Endurance Championship at Misano
An intense weekend full of positive signs for Imperiale Racing, which kicked off the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship season by fielding both Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 cars in the Pro-Am category.
Two well-balanced and competitive line-ups took to the track: Andrea Cola, Phillippe Denes and Lautaro de la Iglesia shared driving duties in car #85, while Alex Denning, Alessandro Girotti and Jacopo Guidetti competed aboard car #54.
The free practice sessions proved crucial in preparing the cars and helping drivers making their debut, such as Girotti and de la Iglesia, build confidence with both the circuit and the changing conditions.
Qualifying: strong pace and a comeback ahead
Qualifying immediately highlighted the strong potential of car #54, which showed impressive speed throughout the sessions. Unfortunately, an error in Qualifying 2 resulted in all lap times being cancelled, forcing the crew to start from the back of the grid despite the pace shown.
Car #85, meanwhile, put together a solid qualifying performance, securing a place on the 11th row and confirming strong race pace ahead of the endurance contest.
Race: rain, Safety Cars and an incredible recovery drive
The race began in extremely difficult conditions, behind the Safety Car and under heavy rain that made the track particularly challenging.
Conditions that, however, perfectly suited our cars, which have historically performed extremely well in wet conditions.
One of the standout performances came from Jacopo Guidetti, who delivered an exceptional stint by climbing from 48th position into the overall Top 10 with impressive pace and decisive overtakes.
In the closing stages, both cars were fighting for the top positions in the Pro-Am class. A late Safety Car period and a few final-race incidents cost car #54 several positions, leaving the crew just outside the podium after an impressive recovery drive.
Car #85, on the other hand, fully capitalised on its potential thanks to a flawless final stint from Phillippe Denes, whose decisive overtake on the penultimate lap secured second place in the Pro-Am category.
A promising start to the season
Misano delivered important championship points, but above all confirmed the strength of the team, the driver line-ups and the technical package.
Speed, adaptability and competitiveness defined the entire weekend, in a race made even more demanding by constantly changing weather conditions.
The focus now shifts to the next round: see you at Vallelunga.
