CIGT Endurance Monza | 19-21 June 2026
Imperiale Racing Claims Pro-Am Victory at Monza in the Italian GT Endurance Championship
Weekend Highlights
- Pro-Am victory for the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 #85
- Remarkable comeback from 38th on the grid to first place in class
- 25 positions gained during Phillippe Denes’ opening stint
- Strong performance and valuable confirmations from the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 #54
- An extremely demanding weekend marked by high temperatures for cars, drivers and team
From June 19th to 21st, the Autodromo Nazionale Monza hosted the second round of the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship.
For Imperiale Racing, it was an intense and emotional weekend, made even more challenging by the extreme temperatures that accompanied every on-track session. The team entered the event with two cars competing in the Pro-Am category.
Car #54: Alessandro Girotti, Alex Denning, Jacopo Guidetti
Car #85: Phillippe Denes, Lautaro de la Iglesia, Andrea Cola
Between impressive recoveries, strong performances and a hard-fought class victory, Monza once again confirmed the competitiveness of both driver line-ups and the work carried out by the team.
Car #85: From P38 on the Grid to Pro-Am Victory
The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 #85 showed strong pace from the very first free practice sessions, confirming the potential already demonstrated in previous rounds.
The weekend took a difficult turn during Qualifying 2, when Lautaro de la Iglesia was forced to stop due to an engine issue. The problem prevented the car from completing its qualifying programme and also forced Phillippe Denes to miss Qualifying 3, leaving the #85 in 38th position overall on the starting grid, second-to-last among the GT3 cars ahead of the GT Cup field.
A challenging situation that the team managed to transform into one of the most impressive comebacks of the weekend.
From the opening laps, Phillippe Denes delivered an outstanding stint, gaining 25 positions and immediately bringing the car back into contention.
Lautaro de la Iglesia continued the recovery with a consistent and competitive pace, while Andrea Cola expertly managed a particularly demanding phase of the race marked by Full Course Yellow periods, Safety Car interventions and GT Cup traffic.
Despite the extreme temperatures and the strain placed on the car throughout the race, the #85 maintained strong and aggressive pace from start to finish.
In the closing stages, Phillippe Denes delivered another exceptional stint, overcoming a five-second penalty imposed by Race Control and securing the Pro-Am class victory for the crew.
A result that rewards the team’s hard work throughout the weekend and the determination shown by all three drivers over the course of the race.
Car #54: Strong Pace and Valuable Confirmations in Extreme Conditions
The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 #54 also enjoyed a positive weekend, showing competitiveness from the very first sessions.
The three free practice sessions allowed the crew to quickly build confidence with the Monza circuit and work effectively on the car setup, immediately demonstrating strong potential.
Qualifying further confirmed the quality of the work carried out by the team. Alex Denning’s performance in Qualifying 3 stood out in particular, with an excellent 1:47.244 lap that secured a starting position on row 11 of the grid.
At the start of the race, Alessandro Girotti approached his opening stint with remarkable maturity. Despite it being only his second GT3 race, the Italian driver handled the hectic opening laps with confidence and composure, particularly through Turn 1 among the 54 cars on track.
Jacopo Guidetti and Alex Denning then continued the strong work, steadily improving the car’s position and maintaining a competitive pace throughout the race.
With less than one hour remaining, a technical issue caused by the extremely demanding conditions unfortunately forced the team to retire the car during the fourth pit stop.
An outcome that does not reflect the potential shown by the #54 throughout the weekend, but one that still provides very positive indications regarding both the crew’s performance and the competitiveness of the car.
Monza Confirms the Team’s Potential
The Monza weekend delivered a valuable Pro-Am victory and several important confirmations for Imperiale Racing ahead of the upcoming rounds of the season.
The remarkable comeback and victory of the #85, combined with the strong performance shown by the #54 before its retirement, highlight the team’s competitiveness and the quality of the work carried out during one of the most demanding events of the year.
Through extreme temperatures, strategic challenges and technical battles, Imperiale Racing leaves Monza with important championship points, valuable experience and the confidence to continue fighting at the front of the Italian Gran Turismo Endurance Championship.
Next stop: Mugello, July 24th–26th, for the next round of the Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship.
