Colin Caresani (22) has endured a challenging season, but emphasizes his determination to return to the GT World Challenge Europe this year. The 2025 season proved to be a learning experience for him while he continued to collect numerous important highlights.

After winning the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance title in the Silver Cup with Winward Racing in 2024, the talented driver started the 2025 season with GetSpeed, but that partnership was not as successful as hoped.

Caresani formed a trio with Tanart Sathienthirakul and Aaron Walker. He remained part of the team up to and including the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Unfortunately, during the endurance classic the team suffered a technical issue, resulting in a DNF.

“I can’t really beat around the bush, it was a very difficult year,” Caresani begins in conversation with GT REPORT. “With Winward, we became champions after four out of five races in 2024. I had a very nice program lined up with them that unfortunately fell through at the last minute.”

In order to continue his career in the prestigious championship, he opted for another Mercedes factory team. It was a tough first half of the year: “Halfway through the season we mutually decided it would be best to part ways, as I wanted to pursue new opportunities,” Caresani explains.

Taking on a leadership role

In addition to the GT World Challenge Europe, Caresani had the Italian GT Championship on his schedule. He competed for Antonelli Motorsport. “The program actually came together through my teammate [Tanart Sathienthirakul], whom I also coached,” the Dutchman explains.

“That was obviously a cool experience, because the team was much smaller and I had the opportunity to take the lead. In previous years I always worked alongside factory drivers in the sister car, and they usually did a lot of the preparations.”

Caresani was therefore able to develop and demonstrate his skills as a team leader. “I was the one who had to lead the car, and that was very interesting. I learned a lot from that,” he reflects positively, with one of the highlights being the stunning win in Imola.

 

From left to right: Tanart Sathienthirakul, Daan Pijl and Colin Caresani celebrating a spectacular win in the 2024 Spa 24 Hours.

He wouldn’t describe it as something he needed to rebuild his confidence. “In GT World Challenge Europe, we still achieved some pretty good results, and at Paul Ricard I set the fastest race lap of all Mercedes cars, including the factory entries.”

“Those were the kinds of things I could still hold on to. Because of that, I never really doubted myself – I simply didn’t feel at home in that program,” Caresani clarifies.

A short view back to the past…

Given the calm, mature way he talks about it, one could almost forget that he is only 22 years old. Not that long ago, he began his career racing Ford Fiestas. Those have since been replaced by a powerhouse of a car: the AMG GT3 Evo.

Caresani laughs: “For me, it all happened very quickly. The ideal career path usually starts after karting in Formula 4. I never really had that opportunity. Especially in 2020 and 2021, I worked very intensively with Van Amersfoort Racing on simulator development. That’s when I really saw a chance that racing could become a profession for me.”

He had always wanted to become a racing driver, but needed some help and know-how to get there. Racing the Ford Fiesta provided the perfect starting point. “Eventually it worked out in a way that I went from a Ford Fiesta to GT3. It happened in steps every year. After the Fords came the BMW M2 Cup in 2021, and that went well immediately.”

The path to success with German manufacturers was already laid there, as Caresani became champion in his very first year. “In the German championship we only competed in three of the six races, and scored the maximum amount of points three times. Then came another step to GT4, and then to GT3.”

Caresani has left his mark on the DTM Trophy championship in 2022 by becoming vice-champion and made his first laps around the Nürburgring in the BMW M240i at the age of eighteen.

Focus on GTWCE return

It may seem easy, but behind the big progression Caresani made each year lay a great deal of effort, work, and dedication. It was no coincidence that he made his GT3 debut in 2023 as the youngest GT3 driver of the year.

Sharing the track with Earl Bamber, Sheldon van der Linde, and Matteo Cairoli in your debut year is no small feat, but Caresani was mainly focused on his own performance. “I never really thought about my surroundings, because I knew what I wanted to achieve and what was required to get there,” he says.

“My second GT3 race was the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, and in my second stint I was in a train with Cairoli, Max Hesse, and Jesse Krohn. That was quite an experience!” he laughs. “Ultimately, GT3 is complex. It really depends on the package you have and the people around you.”

Over the past few years, Caresani has proven himself in GT World Challenge Europe and hopes to return to the championship this season. “That is ultimately the most important platform in GT3. I haven’t signed anything yet, but I’m fighting hard for it.”