The 2025 Italian GT Sprint Championship kicks off this weekend at Vallelunga, boasting a record-breaking 50-car grid across GT3 and GT Cup classes. Following the season-opening Endurance round at Misano, attention now turns to the first of four Sprint events, each featuring two 50-minute + 1 lap races. With international talent, factory-supported drivers, and returning champions, the stage is set for an explosive start to the short-format title fight.

GT3: Title defence and fresh challengers

In the GT3 category, BMW Italia-Ceccato Racing Team returns with reigning champion Jens Klingmann, now partnered with fellow BMW factory driver Jesse Krohn. Their BMW M4 GT3 aims to continue its dominance after securing titles in 2023 and 2024. The team’s second entry features William Alatalo and Leonardo Caglioni, both eager to make their mark.

Lamborghini’s presence is formidable, with Vincenzo Sospiri Racing fielding three Huracán GT3 Evo2s. Alessio Deledda teams up with Finlay Hutchison in the #19 car, while Andrea Frassineti and Edoardo Liberati share the #63. The third VSR entry sees Mattia Michelotto and 2024 GT Cup champion Ignazio Zanon aiming for Pro-Am success. Imperiale Racing complements the Lamborghini contingent with two entries: Alessandro Tarabini and Edgar Lau in one, and Philippe Denes alongside Alexander Bowen in the other.

Ferrari counters with three 296 GT3s under AF Corse, driven by the pairings of Lorenzo Ferrari and Mahaveer Raghunathan, and American driver Ziad Ghandour. Target Competition adds a fourth Ferrari, piloted by Hullin Han.

Audi representation comes from Audi Sport Italia, who fields a single R8 LMS Evo II for Andrea Bracalente and Nano López. Tresor Attempto Racing is back with a strong two-car line-up: Alberto Clementi Pisani and Marco Cassarà in one car, Rocco Mazzola and Fabio Rauer in the other—Mazzola and Rauer having already claimed Endurance success earlier this season.

Honda’s NSX GT3 Evo also returns to the grid via Nova Race. Felice Jelmini and Daniele Di Amato share the #99, while Luca Magnoni and Paolo Rocca are determined to bounce back after a retirement at Misano. Porsche fans will see Ebimotors return with their tried-and-tested 992 GT3 R, piloted by veteran duo Paolo Venerosi and Alessandro Baccani in the Am class.

Antonelli Motorsport fields a two-car effort at Vallelunga, each with a new driver line-up for the Sprint season. In GT3, Florian Scholze returns after a Pro-Am podium challenge in Misano’s Endurance round, this time partnered with Alex Frassineti. The 2017 Italian GT Super GT3 Pro champion makes his return to the series in his first appearance in a Mercedes-AMG and returns to the championship at his home track. With Frassineti’s experience and Scholze’s consistency, the pairing is expected to be a strong contender in the Pro-Am class. The team’s second entry is entered in the GT Cup.

GT Cup: Bulls dominate, but Ferrari and Porsche fight back

GT Cup boasts another ultra-competitive field this weekend at Vallelunga, led by a dominant contingent of Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2s. Among the standout entries are 2024 vice-champions Giacomo and Matteo Pollini (Giacomo Race), who return as title favourites in Division 1. Other strong pairings include Riccardo Tucci and Remo Castellarin (CRM Motorsport), and Ferdinando D’Auria and Piero Randazzo for HC Racing Division. Lamborghini’s numerical advantage will be tested by a quartet of Ferrari 296 Challenge cars, headlined by two-time Italian GT champion Stefano Gai and Fabrizio Fontana (AF Corse), fresh off their GT Cup Endurance win at Misano.

Division 2 sees the familiar Porsche vs. Ferrari duel, as Raptor Engineering, Racevent, and ZRS Motorsport bring strong Porsche 992 Cup line-ups to face off against Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo2 squads like Scuderia Emme and Best Lap.

Antonelli’s second Mercedes entry sees Gianluca and Carlo Giraudi take on the GT Cup National class in a Mercedes-AMG GT2. Gianluca, a long-time Antonelli driver, is joined by his son Carlo, who makes his series debut after stints in Fun Cup France and the Lamera Cup. Their car is entered as a guest and will not be eligible for championship points, but marks the first appearance of a GT2-spec Mercedes in the series.

Race schedule

Races this weekend are split by class. Race 1 for GT Cup is scheduled for Saturday at 14:10 CEST, followed by GT3 at 16:35 CEST. On Sunday, GT Cup returns at 10:10 CEST, with the GT3 finale at 13:00 CEST.

Discover the full entry list for this weekend’s Italian GT Sprint races at Vallelunga.