Guy Albag and Lorenzo Ferrari ahead of Mugello finale: "This title would mean everything"

Guy Albag and Lorenzo Ferrari will start the Italian GT Endurance title decider at Mugello from pole. With a 13-point lead to defend, the Antonelli Motorsport pair told GT REPORT what taking the crown would mean: from Albag’s first GT3 season to Ferrari’s long-standing ties with the team.

Their championship challenge gathered momentum at Imola, where Albag took the lead of the race at the start. Despite repeated interruptions, the Mercedes remained ahead, collecting maximum points at the 100-minute mark and the finish. That brought Albag and Ferrari to 56 points and moved them into the championship lead ahead of the final round.

At Mugello, they followed up with the quickest combined qualifying performance. “I really enjoyed the session,” Albag says. “It was nice to be on pole position again this season after we were on pole at round one in Misano. We’re doing the best we can because we’re also leading the championship now, and we’ll go all in tomorrow.”

Albag looking to finish his first GT3 season with a title

As mentioned, the pair arrived in Tuscany with a 13-point advantage over VSR’s Edoardo Liberati, Mattia Michelotto and Ignazio Zanon. Alessandro Balzan and Dylan Medler were a further seven points behind in the Rinaldi Ferrari. With points awarded twice during the finale, there is still plenty to settle before the chequered flag.

Qualifying has given Albag and Ferrari a clear track ahead at the start. For Albag, the approach to protecting that advantage starts with keeping his composure. “I just need to stay calm and do the job that needs to be done,” he explained. “I think if I stay calm and Lorenzo stays calm as well, we can manage to finish well and hopefully win the championship as well.

“It would mean a lot to me because it’s also my first year in GT3. Taking the title for the first time would mean everything to me and for my career in the future.”

Eyes on the big prize: championship is the priority

Ferrari was equally pleased with Saturday’s result, although he expects the race to be more complicated. The #64 Mercedes carries 35 seconds of additional mandatory pitstop time: 30 seconds following its Imola victory and another five for running a two-driver line-up. That leaves the crew with time to recover during the race, even from pole.

“Yes, very happy,” Ferrari says. “I’ve been racing with Antonelli for a long time, for many years. It’s an honour for me to be fighting for the championship. We’re super happy with pole position and with the position we’re in. Tomorrow we have a lot of penalties, so it will be hard to take the win. But anyway, we’ll try to finish on top and take the championship home.”

Their Imola win has given them some room to manage the finale. Scoring 20 points at Mugello would put the title beyond VSR’s reach regardless of its result. Third place at both scoring points would be enough to reach that target. “For sure, we prioritise the championship,” he continues. “Our priority is the championship, not the race result. Of course, if the result comes, we would be super happy, but we’re focused only on the championship.”

Ferrari’s bond with Antonelli Motorsport

For Ferrari, the relationship with Antonelli stretches back to the beginning of his car-racing career. Other programmes took him elsewhere, but he continued to make occasional appearances with the team before returning for a full championship campaign. “It would mean a lot because I started with them back in F4 so many years ago,” he says.

“Then I moved on to the European Championship, so our paths separated a little. But I still did some races with them over the years. Coming back for a full championship with them would be an honour.”

Sunday’s three-hour race begins at 13:15 CET. Albag and Ferrari will lead the field away with a championship advantage to defend and the chance to give their season together its biggest result.