The 24th edition of the Italian GT Championship (CIGT) gets underway this weekend at Imola with a record-breaking 80-car grid, the largest in the series’ history, split between 34 GT3 entries and 46 GT Cup cars across both divisions.
Among the headline stories are Andrea Frassineti’s switch to Audi, a strengthened BMW presence led by BMW Italia-Ceccato Racing, Nova Race’s move into the BMW camp, McLaren’s debut, and former champions stepping up — all set against the backdrop of VSR’s continued depth with Lamborghini.
Frassineti joins Tresor’s Audi line-up
Reigning champion Andrea Frassineti returns to the grid with a new programme, joining Tresor Attempto Racing’s Audi effort after after edging BMW Italia-Ceccato Racing’s Jens Klingmann and Jesse Krohn to the 2025 title with VSR.
He is paired with Alex Aka, forming one of the key Pro combinations in the field. The move stands out not only for the driver change, but also for the manufacturer switch: Frassineti leaves Lamborghini for Audi at a time when Audi has scaled back its factory GT3 involvement.
That context makes the decision notable, underlining both the continued competitiveness of the Audi R8 LMS GT3 platform and the strength of Tresor Attempto Racing’s operation. The team further reinforces its line-up with entries including Ariel Levi and Rocco Mazzola, as well as Alberto Di Folco alongside Clementi Pisani.
VSR retains its depth across Pro and Pro-Am
VSR remains a central presence despite Frassineti’s departure, continuing to field multiple Lamborghini Huracán GT3 entries across the grid.
The strength of Vincenzo Sospiri’s team lies in the spread of competitive crews rather than a single leading pairing. Among them are Mattia Michelotto and Ignazio Zanon, who arrive in the top class as the reigning Pro-Am champions, alongside additional Pro entries that maintain VSR’s presence at the front.
That depth was a defining factor in 2025 and remains one of the team’s key characteristics heading into the new season.
BMW Italia-Ceccato Racing and Nova Race shape the BMW camp
BMW arrives at Imola with a notably expanded and competitive presence.
BMW Italia-Ceccato Racing fields a strong Pro line-up with Jens Klingmann and BMW M factory driver Raffaele Marciello, building on a campaign that saw the team closely involved in last season’s title fight. Marciello takes over from Jesse Krohn, who has since left BMW.
Alongside them, Nova Race Events makes a significant switch from the Honda NSX GT3 to the BMW M4 GT3, doing so with support from BMW M Motorsport. The move places Nova Race directly alongside Ceccato Racing within the same manufacturer, creating a new dynamic inside the BMW camp.
Together, the two teams give BMW both depth and high-level experience across the grid.
McLaren joins the fight
One of the most eye-catching newcomers at Imola is McLaren, which makes its Italian GT GT3 debut through Raptor Engineering. The Modena-based outfit fields the 720S GT3 Evo for factory driver Dean MacDonald alongside Riccardo Cazzaniga, who was part of the Tresor Attempto Racing crew that claimed the 2025 Endurance title. It is a significant moment for both team and manufacturer — Raptor Engineering steps up from GT Cup to the top class for the first time, while McLaren arrives on two fronts simultaneously, with the Artura Trophy Evo also present in GT Cup. For a championship that has long been dominated by Ferrari, Lamborghini, BMW, Audi and Mercedes-AMG, the arrival of the British marque adds a genuinely new dimension to the grid.
A notable return: Stefano Gai back up to GT3
One of the standout storylines on the Imola grid is the return of Stefano Gai to GT3 competition. After one year in GT Cup, where he secured the 2025 title alongside Fabrizio Fontana, Gai steps back up to the top class together with his championship-winning teammate.
A two-time Italian GT champion, Gai’s return adds both experience and recognition to the field. The move sees a proven pairing carry its success from GT Cup into GT3, bringing continuity and a strong foundation into Spirit of Racing’s Ferrari 296 GT3 expansive programme.
Ferrari fields internationally experienced line-ups
Ferrari’s presence at Imola is built on depth across multiple teams and categories, with the 296 GT3 represented throughout Pro, Pro-Am, and Am classes.
Spirit of Racing leads that effort with five out of nine entries, including internationally recognised drivers such as David Perel alongside Rafael Duran, as well as Francesco Braschi and Jef Machiels. Together with the Gai-Fontana pairing, the team combines proven experience with established GT Cup success stepping into GT3.
Across the grid, additional Ferrari entries from teams such as Easy Race, Target Racing and Double TT Racing further reinforce the manufacturer’s presence, ensuring the prancing horse remains a continuing presence.
Lamborghini presence extends across multiple teams
Beyond VSR, Lamborghini remains widely represented throughout the field.
Oregon Team returns with former Formula 2 and IndyCar driver Luca Ghiotto in its line-up, while Imperiale Racing and DL Racing further strengthen the manufacturer’s presence. DL Racing, in particular, features Lamborghini factory driver Franck Perera adding another experienced name to the grid, and the Milan-based outfit arrives at Imola with 13 entries across GT3 and GT Cup combined, a record for a single team in Italian GT history.
This distribution across several teams ensures Lamborghini’s competitiveness is not limited to a single operation.
GT Cup: Champions, new alliances and a deep field
GT Cup once again brings a large and varied field to Imola, with 46 cars across its divisions.
One of the standout additions is the pairing of Stefano Comandini and Vito Postiglione, who join forces with Best Lap in Ferrari machinery. After 13 years with BMW Z4, M6, and M4 GT3 machinery, Comandini makes a notable switch in what marks a new chapter in his career, teaming up with fellow Italian GT champion and old friend Postiglione in one of the most experienced line-ups on the grid.
They enter a field that already features several top contenders, including Zanasi Racing, DL Racing and MM Motorsport, alongside strong Ferrari Challenge representation from MRNC12 and Spirit of Racing. Across the Porsche ranks, BiRace Motorsport headline the GT Cup Div 2 challenge, fielding both the 2025 Endurance Pro-Am champion Paolo Calcagno and 2025 Sprint runners-up Lodovico Laurini and Giovanni Stefanin under one roof, with Raptor Engineering adding further intrigue as McLaren’s Artura Trophy Evo makes its Italian GT debut in the category.
As in 2025, the category runs its own races alongside the GT3 action
A grid defined by change and continuity
The 2026 season begins with a field that blends established structures with new combinations.
Frassineti’s move to Audi, Nova Race’s integration into the BMW camp and the continued strength of teams such as VSR and BMW Italia-Ceccato Racing define the competitive landscape heading into Imola. Alongside that, the presence of drivers such as Stefano Gai, Vito Postiglione and Stefano Comandini highlights the depth of the Italian GT scene, a championship where internationally proven drivers share the grid with national specialists who remain central to its identity and competitiveness.
Together with a deep and varied field across both GT3 and GT Cup, it provides a strong foundation for the opening round of the season.
Sprint format opens the season
The Imola weekend follows the established sprint format, with two races of 50 minutes plus one lap and separate qualifying sessions setting the grids.
Imola entry list
For a full overview of the grid, including all GT3 and GT Cup entries, be sure to check out the complete 80-car entry list for the Imola season opener, where the full depth and variety of this year’s Italian GT field becomes clear.
FULL CIGT SPRINT IMOLA ENTRY LIST
Schedule (CEST)
Friday
10:50 – 11:40: Free Practice 1 GT3
11:50 – 12:40: Free Practice 1 GT Cup
15:50 – 16:40: Free Practice 2 GT3
16:50 – 17:40: Free Practice 2 GT Cup
19:05 – 19:30: Free Practice 3 GT3
19:35 – 20:00: Free Practice 3 GT Cup
Saturday
09:10 – 09:25: Qualifying 1 GT3
09:30 – 09:45: Qualifying 2 GT3
09:55 – 10:10: Qualifying 1 GT Cup
10:15 – 10:30: Qualifying 2 GT Cup
15:00 – 15:55: Race 1 GT3
17:30 – 18:25: Race 1 GT Cup
Sunday
14:00 – 14:55: Race 2 GT3
15:30 – 16:25: Race 2 GT Cup
Love what we do? Support GT REPORT with a donation and fuel our next trip to the racetrack.
Even €5 makes a difference!
