Italian GT, Monza - Preview
Final Battle In The Park
 
This is it – no, not the Michael Jackson tribute, but the final round of the Italian GT, which will be held in Monza this weekend.

The format will this time see joint races for all the classes, so two races - one on Sunday morning (very early at 9.30 CET) , the other in the late afternoon. We aren’t expecting it to be pretty, but with 30+ cars on the grid we’ll no doubt have quite a few moments on every lap, since the lap difference between the top guys in GT2 and GT3 is about 10-15 seconds per lap. At the begin of the season all the drivers knew that will be two rounds with joint classes (the other one was at Imola), but for next year, with the probable demise of the GT2 class, it would be a more sensible thing to keep the GT3 and the Cup cars split at every round.
 
All the three classes are still open, but while one of them is all but decided, the other two are pretty wide open; and if it won’t be the traffic, it could be the weather that can play a big part. With the Autumn pretty “undecided”, conditions can create a big “casino” both on track and in the pits.
 
Let’s have a preview for each class.
 
GT Cup
 
This is all but decided. Mancini & Mapelli have been the dominant factor all season, and only mechanical gremlins (like at Magione) or crashes can keep them from the title. The only other contenders, Fornaroli (Porsche) and Sanna-Stancheris (Lamborghini), can mathematically clinch the crown…but the pure numbers suggest that Mancini-Mapelli only has to be ninth in race one to get the big prize. Barring the weather, and barring last-minute BOP modifications, the Gallardo 4wd has a huge power advantage and could easily win the two races. Fornaroli is not a fast driver, and much depends on who his teammate will be; it’s usually Villa, but in two races he had Mastronardi, another professional Porsche driver. Keep in mind, though, that he needs Mancini-Mapelli to score a double zero…could be, but in reality it won’t happen.
 
GT3
 
The most intriguing battle will be in this class, with three title contenders - Roda-Lietz (but the Alien from Venus won’t clinch the title due to missing the races at Magione), Albuquerque-Bonanomi in the Audi R8, and Gattuso-Lavio in the Kessel Racing 430 Ferrari. All three pairs have the full 30 seconds time-penalty to solve in the first race, so equal changes for everyone. The points standing (already with the two must-drop scores) say Roda with 128 points, Albuquerque-Bonanomi with 118 (again with the two drops) and Lavio-Gattuso with 112.

The new GT3 R has the top engine, and this should help in Monza (even with all the BOP penalties the car has had to carry since round 2). The R8 is perhaps the most balanced car, but with not so much power, while the Ferrari is…the Ferrari; so you never know what is in the deep heart of the car. All three teams are very professional - almost a factory group. In case of equal points, Roda has six victories, more than enough to clinch the crown. The other cars should play a big role, especially in race one, and here the advantage is on the Audi side. The #2 car, driven by Giraudi-Capello, is a “trust pair” for the top spot in race 1.
 
GT2
 
The “all Ferrari 430” class is perhaps the most open class, because lots of drivers can win overall. The leaders, Moncini-Montermini, will have only five extra seconds to serve in race one and have 117 points (already with the two drops). Palma-Mugelli have 104 points (drops done) and 0 seconds for the first race , Perazzini-Cioci 103 points (drops done) and 0 seconds, so a very wide open picture. For sure Moncini-Montermini are the most balanced pair, but never say never; traffic, weather and Italian passion could play a big part in every phase of the races.
 
We’ll be on track this weekend, reporting every day from Friday from every class. Could there be possibly a better track than the “real temple of speed” for the final act in the Campionato Italiano Gran Turismo? 
 
Gabriele Tosi