Looks Ahead to the Season Finale with Confidence

The Mugello International Circuit hosted the third round of the 2026 Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship, where Zanasi Racing once again demonstrated the progress made since the start of the season. The team wrapped up the weekend with two podium finishes in Race 1 and consistently competitive performances from all four driver pairings.

Race 1: Pole Position and Two Podium Finishes

The Mugello weekend got off to the best possible start for Zanasi Racing. In qualifying, Mattia Simonini and Matteo Sartori secured pole position in the #119 Ferrari 296 Challenge, confirming the team’s growing competitiveness on one of the most demanding circuits on the championship calendar.
The strong pace shown from Friday carried over into Race 1. Simonini and Sartori delivered a composed and consistent performance to finish third in the PRO-AM class. The team’s success was further reinforced by the #203 Ferrari of Giacomo Ghermandi and Vittoria Piria, who claimed third place in the AM class after a solid race, giving Zanasi Racing two podium finishes in the opening race of the weekend.

Race 2: Pace and Determination Until the Chequered Flag

Race 2 once again highlighted the team’s performance potential, although several incidents prevented the final results from reflecting the pace shown on track. Simonini and Sartori ran consistently at the front of the field before a puncture to the left-front tyre forced an additional pit stop, ending their challenge for the top positions.

Andrea Fontana and Tommaso Lovati also delivered an outstanding performance in the #109 Ferrari, taking the chequered flag in first place before a one-minute penalty for a race infringement altered the final classification. Victor Briselli and Luca Demarchi produced an impressive recovery drive in the #211 Ferrari, finishing fourth after several hard-fought battles throughout the race. Meanwhile, the race of Ghermandi and Piria ended prematurely due to a technical issue while they were running a promising race.

Focus Shifts to Monza

Overall, the Mugello weekend delivered plenty of positive signs. The two podium finishes, the pole position and the competitiveness displayed by all four Ferrari 296 Challenge entries confirm the steady progress of Zanasi Racing throughout the 2026 Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship. The season finale at Monza now represents the opportunity to convert the team’s consistent pace into the results it has demonstrated it can achieve.

As Marco Zanasi, Team Owner of Zanasi Racing, commented:
“Mugello leaves us with mixed feelings. On one hand, we are pleased with the two podium finishes and the pace shown by all four of our cars throughout the weekend; on the other, we regret the incidents that prevented us from achieving even stronger results. We know we have the potential to fight consistently at the front of the field, and that gives us great confidence heading into the final round of the season at Monza. We will continue to work with the same determination to turn the speed we’ve shown on track into the results this team deserves.”