NEWS
ITALIAN SEASON OPENER PROMISES MUCH BUT DELIVERS LITTLE FOR THE VSR BOYS
May 04, 2025
.JPG)
Italian GT Endurance, Misano - Italy
Misano opener promises much but delivers little for the VSR team
The Misano circuit welcomed a record grid of forty-one cars for the opening round of the Italian GT Endurance Championship. VSR entered Michele Beretta, Andrea Frassineti and Rodrigo Testa in the Pro number 63 Lamborghini and had Kevin Gilardoni, Mattia Michelotto and Ignazio Zanon fighting it out in the eleven car Pro-Am field with the number 66 Lamborghini. After three sessions of free practice the drivers were all raring to go for Saturday evening’s qualifying sessions.
Gilardoni, Michelotto and Zanon’s combined efforts saw them take the Pro-Am pole and a place on the front row for the start of Sunday’s three-hour race. Beretta, Frassineti and Testa qualified just behind them, third fastest overall. The combined times of the two cars were less than two tenths of a second apart.
Gilardoni and Beretta took the start, inverting positions and both losing out to Comandini’s BMW. On lap seven the BMW lost a wheel and retired, promoting the VSR cars back up to second and third. Recovering the BMW prompted a FCY followed by a Safety Car period which ended just before the first of five pit windows, each lasting ten minutes. The 63 stopped first, Beretta pitting for Testa who fitted a new set of slick tyres for his stint. On lap twenty Zanon took over from Gilardoni in the Pro-Am VSR Lambo.
A great couple of opening laps from Testa saw him close up to the race leader Rauer and then pass him on lap twenty-two. There was drama for Zanon on lap twenty-five when contact from Lopez left him with a rear puncture. He limped back to the pits but the car was later retired as a consequence of the damage. Testa had a four second lead when a second FCY just before the next pit window momentarily froze the classification. Testa pitted immediately and Frassineti took over the 63 car and the lead of the race.
Racing resumed on lap thirty-nine and Frassineti set off in the lead with Mazzola’s Audi in hot pursuit. The pit window opened but before Frassineti could box he hit a patch of oil and skated into the gravel, ending a race which had promised much and delivered little for both the VSR cars.
The Italian GT Championship reconvenes in three weeks for the opening round of the Sprint at Vallelunga.
2025 Italian GT Endurance Calendar
Round 1 Misano, Italy 3-4 May
Round 2 Monza, Italy 21-22 June
Round 3 Imola, Italy 2-3 August
Round 4 Mugello, Italy 13-14 September
END
