A DOUBLE POINTS FINISH FOR MATTIA BUCCI IN THE THIRD ROUND OF THE ITALIAN GT SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP

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The Abruzzese driver achieved a 4th and a 8th place finish in his Pro-Am class not without difficulties

The curtain fell at Mugello Circuit after the third round of the Italian GT Sprint Championship, an event that saw starring Mattia Bucci and the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo of Best Lap racing team in the GT Cup class.

The action started with Free Practice on Friday as usual. In these two sessions, Mattia and his teammate Filippo Croccolino managed to log a considerable number of kilometers. Qualifyings on Saturday weren’t so positive, as the lap times of the Ferrari n.178 were damaged by traffic and red flags. Both Bucci and Croccolino locked the 17th place on the grid at the end of Q1 and Q2.

In Race 1 the Abruzzese driver did the first stint and was able to recover several positions thanks to some episodes. Mattia was especially skilled in taking advantage of the various opportunities that the race provided within its fifty minutes. In the pit-stop phase he dropped the car to Croccolino, who crossed the finish line in P4 of the Pro-Am class (P12 overall).

A technical problem compromised their pace in Race 2 on Sunday: the drivers had to manage this issue to the best of their ability, crossing the finish line in P8 Pro-Am (P15 overall). An important double points placement considering the lack of chemistry between Mugello’s track layout and the characteristics of the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo. These results allow the pair to remain in the running for third place in the drivers standing.

Mattia Bucci: “It was a difficult weekend, but we managed to bring home a 4th and an 8th place in our category, so we can be quite happy. There was potential to be unlocked and it was a shame, but neither I nor Filippo and the team lost heart and I am satisfied with the reaction we had as a group. Now our goal is to do well in Monza to close the season positively. I want to thank Giovanni Minardi and Minardi Management, the Best Lap team, my family, my staff, my personal trainer Walter Marini and his team and all the sponsors for their support”

PHOTO CREDITS: Lorenzo Colangeli

Matteo Gaudieri
Mattia Bucci’s Press Office

IT’S RACE WEEK FOR MATTIA BUCCI AFTER SUMMER BREAK, MUGELLO IS THE THEATER OF THE PENULTIMATE ROUND OF THE SEASON

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The Italian GT Sprint Championship will restart its action in Tuscany for the third round in programme this year

Mattia Bucci went on holidays after his extraordinary third place finish in Race 2 achieved in the Imola round of the Italian GT Sprint Championship in the GT Cup class. The Abruzzese ace is ready to hit the legendary Mugello Circuit from August 23rd to the 25th with his teammate Filippo Croccolino, driving the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo by Best Lap racing team for the penultimate round of the racing series organized by ACI Sport.

After the Imola round, Mattia went in Tuscany for a brief test session which consisted in a try out of the racetrack characteristics. As the permanent home of the MotoGP Italian Grand Prix and having hosted the first and only edition of the Formula 1 Tuscan Grand Prix in 2020, Mugello is a track full of pitfalls: located between the hills, it has 15 turns for a total distance of 5245 metres.

The weekend programme consists in two Free Practice sessions on Friday (11:45 am and 6:05 pm respectively), two Qualifying sessions (10:10 and 10:35 am) and Race 1 at 5:30 pm on Saturday and Race 2 at 12:40 pm on Sunday.

Mattia Bucci: “Finally it’s race week! I’ll be back on track after summer break for the third round of the Italian GT Sprint Championship. I’m very happy and excited and i can’t wait to get back in the car to improve and confirm what we achieved in Imola. I’m sure that with the right working method we can do great things. My goal is to learn as much as possible and to gain lot of experience for the future, because this is a quite unknown racetrack for myself. We have a lot to do, but we can minimize the problems following the right work path. I want to thank Giovanni Minardi and Minardi Managament, the Best Lap racing team, my family, my staff, my personal trainer Walter Marini and his whole team and all my sponsors for their support.”

The races will be broadcast on ACI Sport TV (channel 228 of Sky Italy) and on both the “Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo” Facebook and Youtube channels.

PHOTO CREDITS: Foto Speedy

Matteo Gaudieri
Mattia Bucci’s Press Office

AL MUGELLO BERGONZINI SI METTE IN LUCE NEI TEST COL LA FERRARI 488 DELLA BESTLAP

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Buon debutto sulla Ferrari 488 Gt Cup del team Bestlap di Roma nei test svolti al Mugello da parte di Matteo Bergonzini. Il driver di Spilamberto ha migliorato i riscontri cronometrici turno dopo turno, stabilendo tempi competitivi con quelli fatti registrare dai partecipanti del campionato tricolore GT sul circuito toscano. Questo test è stato realizzato grazie all’interessamento e LA disponibilità di Giovanni Minardi, patron di Minardi Management, squadra di cui fa parte Matteo Bergonzini. Un test molto interessante per il driver modenese, che non solo ha potuto crescere d’esperienza, ma che ha permesso di evidenziare le proprie potenzialità a bordo della vettura della casa di Maranello, verificate assieme al telemetrista del team Bestlap. “Una giornata emozionante – ha spiegato Matteo Bergonzini – il team è stato fantastico e mi ha messo subito a mio agio permettendomi di avere una vettura ben curata e uno staff completo e molto preparato. Sono molto contento dei tempi fatti registrare e del costante abbassamento dei riscontri cronometrici a seguito di ogni turno, dimostrando di poter essere competitivo. Ringrazio tanto per questa bella opportunità ed esperienza Giovanni Minardi, patron di Minardi Management scuderia a cui appartengo, e la proprietà oltre all’equipe del team Bestlap. Ora attendiamo di sapere se si potrà concretizzare la partecipazione a qualche gara del tricolore GT, magari cominciando da fine agosto”.

TOP FIVE TRA I ROOKIE E PRESTAZIONI IN CRESCITA AL MUGELLO PER NICHOLAS PUJATTI

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Il fine settimana Porsche Carrera Cup Italia ha visto Nicholas Pujatti chiudere in grande crescita e in top five tra i rookie.

Un buon fine settimana quello portato a termine dal pilota del team Villorba Corsa, seppur mai facile su un tracciato come quello toscano, ricco di insidie e con pochi punti per il sorpasso.

Dopo le prove libere-test, lo studio dei track limits e del set-up con la propria squadra, Nicholas si è concentrato al massimo sulle sessioni cronometrate, chiudendo in zona Top Ten ed evidenziato fin da subito un buon passo gara.

Sessione di qualifica unica come sempre molto tirata a caccia del giro pulito. P19 assoluta per il pilota numero #46 chiamato alla rimonta nella prima gara di sabato pomeriggio.
In Gara 1 purtroppo un contatto causato da un avversario nei primi passaggi, ha costretto Nicholas a perdere alcune posizioni al via.
Recupero giro dopo giro sancito dalla P20 finale ad ogni modo positiva considerando l’inizio della gara.

Gara 2 decisamente diversa con una partenza regolare e fuori dai guai che ha permesso al pilota Villorba Corse di poter spingere da subito e dimostrare il proprio passo gara. Tempi sul giro che lo avrebbero portato in lotta per le prime dieci piazze, hanno consentito di recuperare posizioni chiudendo in P17 e soprattutto in P5 nella classifica Rookie.

N.Pujatti: “E’ stato un weekend davvero molto combattuto. Guidare la 992 GT3 qui al Mugello è stato emozionante e voglio ringraziare tutto lo staff Villorba Corse per avermi messo nelle migliori condizioni. Ringrazio il mio management Minardi Management, tutta la mia famiglia e ovviamente i miei sponsor per il grande supporto!”.

Appuntamento per il primo fine settimana di settembre (6-8 settembre) per il quarto round stagionale sull’Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola.

RISULTATI COMPLETI

Ufficio Stampa Nicholas Pujatti
Petrolhead Communication
Foto: G.Benfanti

NICHOLAS PUJATTI AL MUGELLO PER IL TERZO WEEKEND DELLA PORSCHE CARRERA CUP ITALIA 2024

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Sarà il circuito toscano ad ospitare il terzo round in calendario della Porsche Carrera Cup Italia 2024.

Nicholas Pujatti è pronto a tornare al volante della propria Porsche 992 GT3 Cup del team Villorba Corse, in seguito ai test pre-gara della scorsa settimana.

Una prima stagione in ambito PCCI formativa e combattuta per il pilota italiano, sempre più a suo agio nella nuova categoria. Il fine settimana del Mugello sarà un banco di prova ulteriore per alzare ancor di più il livello.
Tracciato storico e mozzafiato con 5.245 metri di sali e scendi, curve meravigliose e soprattutto velocità.

Il fine settimana dalle alte temperature previste prenderà vita quest’oggi con altre due sessioni di test pre-gara, più che mai importanti per arrivare al miglior setting della vettura e nelle migliori condizioni in vista di venerdì quando il programma gara passerà alle Prove Libere ore 14.35.

Qualifiche ufficiali previste nella mattinata di sabato 12 luglio ore 09.15 prima di Gara 1 alle ore 15.50 (30 min. + 1 giro). Gran finale domenica 13 luglio con Gara 2 alle ore 12.20 (30 min. + 1 giro). Entrambe le gare saranno trasmesse in diretta e on demand sulla piattaforma Dazn e in live streaming HD sul sito www.carreracupitalia.it.

N.Pujatti: “Sarà un fine settimana molto impegnativo sia per le temperature che per il tracciato, mai facile da interpretare. Con il team abbiamo già iniziato il nostro lavoro in previsione della gara e cercheremo di portarlo avanti al meglio. Ringrazio il mio management Minardi Management, tutti i miei sponsor e la mia famiglia per il supporto. Occhi sulle gare!”

Tutti gli aggiornamenti sui canali ufficiali di Nicholas Pujatti (Instagram e Facebook).

PROGRAMMA GARA E RISULTATI

Ufficio Stampa Nicholas Pujatti
Petrolhead Communication

MATTIA BUCCI CLAIMS MAIDEN PODIUM IN ITALIAN GT CHAMPIONSHIP

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The Imola round in the Italian GT Sprint Championship handed to the Catignano ace his first trophy in GT Cup

Mattia Bucci’s debut at the “Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari di Imola” in the Italian GT Sprint Championship was one to remember. The young Abruzzese talent from the Best Lap team, together with his teammate Filippo Croccolino, managed to climb onto the bottom step of the podium at the end of a weekend marked by highs and lows.

Free Practices on Friday were immediately hampered by both mechanical anomalies and difficult weather conditions, which brought the work program to an abrupt halt. On Saturday, however, the high frequency of interruptions caused by red flags and Full Course Yellows prevented the crew of car no. 178 from improving their times, relegating Croccolino to 21st place and Bucci to 19th at the end of Q1 and Q2 respectively. Race 1 continued the negative trend, marking the second retirement of the championship due to technical problems.

Race 2 was a completely different story: at the start, Bucci immediately made his mark by gaining five positions before the safety car was brought out to clear up some cars involved in an incident. The comeback continued over the laps thanks to some overtaking before the pit stop, which was decisive for the climb: the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo was parked on the pit lane apron by the Catignano racing driver in tenth position and was taken over by Croccolino in fifth, a testament to the excellent work done by the drivers in the laps before and after the stop. The top five was then confirmed under the checkered flag and then turned into a podium finish thanks to some penalties handed out by the Stewards. It is worth noting their extraordinary driving performance: both drivers overtook no less than sixteen cars to claim the bronze medal, especially considering the high difficulty of overtaking at the Imola circuit.

Mattia Bucci: “I’m really happy with the result we achieved at Imola, we deserved it after the technical problems we had. Despite everything, I always stayed positive and never gave up, me and my teammate pushed each other and I think that was the winning key that made all this possible. I’m truly speechless, I expected anything but the podium! I hope it’s just the first of many, now let’s get back to work to try to progress and further improve the result. I would like to thank Giovanni Minardi and Minardi Management, the Best Lap team, my teammate Filippo Croccolino, my family, my staff, my trainer Walter Marini and his team and all my sponsors for their incredible support.”

Matteo Gaudieri
Mattia Bucci’s Press Office

MATTIA BUCCI SEEKS REDEMPTION AT IMOLA IN THE SECOND ACI RACING WEEKEND OF THE SEASON

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Catignano ace Mattia Bucci is aiming for better luck as he heads to the historic Santerno circuit for the second round of the Campionato Italiano GT Sprint

Bucci’s debut in the “Campionato Italiano GT Sprint” GT Cup category at Misano was the antithesis of what every driver hopes to experience in their first race, especially when it marks their maiden Grand Touring outing after a career in Formula racing. For Bucci and the entire Best Lap team, the upcoming Imola round represents a clean slate, a chance to build upon the encouraging ninth-place finish they secured in Race 2 at the first event.

The Bucci-Croccolino pairing will once again take the wheel of the team’s Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo, tackling the twists and turns of the “Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari” with a blend of their respective driving experiences: young Abruzzese talent Bucci will approach the weekend with zero kilometers under his belt at Imola, while Filippo will bring his year of experience in the Championship to the table.

This weekend’s program will feature two Free Practice sessions on Friday (11:30 and 17:30 respectively), two Qualifying sessions (11:30 and 11:55) and Race 1 (18:40) on Saturday, and Race 2 (16:30) on Sunday to conclude the GT Cup action.

Mattia Bucci: “Finally we’re back on track. It’s a dream for me to race at a circuit like Imola, especially in a Ferrari. I’m very excited and motivated to take on this challenge. I can’t wait to get behind the wheel and give it my all. It will be a very interesting weekend as I’ve never driven at Imola before, but I’m sure that with hard work from the start, we’ll be able to find the right feeling with the car and the track straight away. For me, it will all be new considering the zero kilometers I’ve done, so we need to be smart and focused to get up to speed quickly. I want to thank Giovanni Minardi and Minardi Management, the Best Lap team, my family, my staff, Walter Marini and his entire team, and my sponsors for their support.”

The races will be broadcast on ACI Sport TV (channel 228 of Sky Italy) and on both the “Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo” Facebook and Youtube channels.

Matteo Gaudieri
Mattia Bucci’s Press Office

POINTS ACHIEVEMENT FOR MATTIA BUCCI IN RACE 2 AFTER A ROLLERCOASTER WEEKEND IN MISANO

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Mattia Bucci’s GT debut proved to be more challenging than expected due to severe technical issues

Mattia Bucci’s debut was not the one he had hoped for: this is how we can summarize the first ACI Racing Weekend of the year for the Catignano ace aboard the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo of the Best Lap team. The first round of the Italian GT Sprint Championship – GT Cup class in Misano was heavily compromised by technical anomalies that prevented the Abruzzese talentand his teammate Filippo Croccolino from racking up significant mileage between Friday and Saturday, even forcing them to retire after a handful of laps in Race 1.

The few laps completed in the previous sessions were useful for the Roman team to study the problem, analyze it and solve it. This work lasted both days and paid off in Race 2, scheduled for Sunday. Starting from 28th on the grid, Bucci was able to bring the #178 Ferrari up to 12th position with an excellent comeback, especially considering the previous anomalies.

Once the car was handed over to Croccolino during the pit stop for the driver change mandated by the regulations, the Tuscan driver was then able to continue his climb up the standing, finishing ninth overall under the chequered flag, eighth in the Pro-Am 1st Division class. Reaching the points symbolizes consolation after the incredible difficulty experienced since the first Free Practice sessions.

Mattia Bucci: “It was a very difficult weekend due to technical problems, in fact we only managed to do Race 2. However, I am very happy with the result we brought home, because we finished in the points starting from the back of the grid, so I am very satisfied with the work done with my teammate Filippo Croccolino. I can’t help but thank the whole Best Lap team for their great work, especially during the nights of Friday and Saturday. I would also like to thank Filippo for having performed and closed a great stint; I am very confident for the next appointment in Imola. I thank Giovanni Minardi and Minardi Management, the Best Lap team, my family, my staff, my trainer Walter Marini and his team and all my sponsors for the support.”

Matteo Gaudieri
Mattia Bucci’s Press Office

MATTIA BUCCI IS READY TO MAKE HIS DEBUT IN THE ITALIAN GT SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP

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Misano Adriatico will host the first ACI Racing Weekend of the Italian motorsport season

Mattia Bucci’s 2023 season ended with a victory at the “Misano World Circuit – Marco Simoncelli” in the “FX Pro Series” of the “Formula X Italian Series”. The ace from Catignano will return to action in the racetrack located in Romagna making his debut in the Italian GT Sprint Championship from May 3rd to 5th with some news: a new team, Best Lap, and a new car, the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo, which mark Mattia’s switch from Formula single-seaters to Grand Touring competition.

The work done in the recent test programs leading up to the event was more than sufficient and satisfactory to prepare Bucci for this new challenge, which won’t be faced alone as the logic of the championship dictates: Filippo Croccolino, a driver from Siena, will share the cockpit with the young Abruzzese talent and will make his year of experience available in a context as important as the series organized by ACI Sport. The two drivers were teammates during their karting days and they will compete in the GT Cup category in the Pro-Am class.

This is the race weekend schedule:
– Friday: FP1 (GT3 & GT Cup) at 10:45 am, FP2 at 3:55 pm;
– Saturday: Q1 at 9:30 am, Q2 at 9:55 am, Race 1 at 6:45 pm;
– Sunday: Race 2 at 4:00 pm.

The races will be broadcast on both ACI Sport TV (channel 224 on Sky and channel 402 on DTT) and on the Facebook page and Youtube channel “Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo”.

Mattia Bucci: “Finally the wait is over, it’s race week! I’m very happy and I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel for the first round of the Italian GT Championship at Misano, a track that is very dear to me. I’m happy to be able to share this fantastic experience with Filippo Croccolino after our karting days: to have him as my teammate again is a great pleasure. I’m very excited and I can’t wait for Friday for the first Free Practice sessions. I would like to thank Giovanni Minardi and Minardi Management, the Best Lap team, my family, my staff, my trainer Walter Marini and his team and all the sponsors for their support.”

Matteo Gaudieri
Mattia Bucci’s Press Office

MATTIA BUCCI WILL TAKE PART IN THE ITALIAN GT SPRINT CHAMPIONSHIP WITH BEST LAP RACING TEAM

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The Abruzzese racing driver will officially return to competition making his absolute debut with the Grand Touring world

After an intensive testing program with the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo of the Best Lap team, Mattia Bucci has been officially announced as a driver for the Roman racing team to face the Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship of ACI Sport with the Prancing Horse car. The ace from Catignanowill be in partnership with Filippo Croccolino, a Tuscan driver with previous experiences in closed-wheel competitions; he was Mattia’s teammate back in their kart journey.

The various track outings between Vallelunga and Misano were an appetizer of the programme that Bucci will face in this sporting season. The category in which he and his partner Croccolino will compete is the GT Cup class.

This is the calendar:
– Round 1, Misano: from May 3rd to the 5th;
– Round 2, Imola: from May 30th to June 2nd
– Round 3, Mugello: from August 23rd to the 25th;
– Round 4, Monza: from October 4th to the 6th.

The young Abruzzese talent’s last race was during the Misano weekend of the “FX Pro Series” of the “Formula X Italian Series”, a round that ended with victory in Race 2.

Mattia Bucci: “I am thrilled and honored to be participating in the 2024 Italian Gran Turismo Championship. This is a competition that boasts truly significant names in motorsport. I am confident that Filippo and I can achieve great results with sacrifice and dedication. I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel. I would like to thank Giovanni Minardi and Minardi Management, the Best Lap team for this incredible opportunity, my family, my staff, my trainer Walter Marini and his team, and all my sponsors for their unwavering support.”

Giovanni Minardi, Minardi Management: “I am delighted that we have reached an agreement with Best Lap to participate in the Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship. Finally, after two years of challenges, we have found the right formula to compete in a major championship and make the switch from open-wheel to closed-wheel racing, where I think and believe Mattia has a great chance of achieving excellent results. I hope the championship can start well right away at Misano. Mattia was very strong in testing, so there are good chances of doing well. I wish Mattia and the team the best of luck in doing well right from the start. I believe this is the right year for Mattia to really show his worth.”

Matteo Gaudieri
Press Office Mattia Bucci