Weekend preview: in the hunt for victories in Italy, Holland and England

Anticipation is high for the Ferrari 296 GT3s in the second round of the DTM championship at Zandvoort. It is also round two at Monza for the Italian GT Championship, where 44 cars will take the start. Silverstone in England will host the third leg of the British Endurance Championship.

DTM. After the opening round at Oschersleben, Zandvoort will welcome the DTM championship, which returns to the Dutch track after its last appearance in 2018. The picturesque “dune” circuit, famous for its last 18-degree corner number 14, will also welcome the two Ferrari 296 GT3s of Emil Frey Racing. Jack Aitken will not be in the number 14 car because of another commitment. In his place, the Spaniard Albert Costa Balboa will make his DTM debut. He has already raced and won at the Dutch track last year in the ADAC GT championship.

Thierry Vermeulen, the only Dutchman competing, will be in Ferrari’s second car, the number 69. He is also the youngest of the group and is ready to do well in front of his home crowd, aiming for a top-eight finish.

Friday’s programme includes free practice from 12.20 to 1.05 p.m. and from 4.00 to 4.45 p.m. On Saturday, Qualifying 1 runs from 9.35 to 9.55 a.m., with the first one-hour race starting at 1.30 p.m. On Sunday, Qualifying 2 is from 9.15 to 9.35 a.m., and the green light for Race-2 is at 1.30 p.m.

CIGT. The Italian Gran Turismo Sprint Championship series keeps growing in terms of participants. 44 cars are due at the Monza track this weekend, more than the first round at Misano and equal to the all-time record set last season. The decision to hold two separate races at the Lombardy circuit for the GT3 and GT Cup classes remains unchanged.

In the GT3, the four crews bunched within just two points of each other will try to take advantage of the absence of leader of the rankings Andrea Kimi Antonelli (on 32 points). White and D’Auria, winners of Race-2 at Misano, are currently second on 24 points in the AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020. GT3 Pro Am class leaders Jules Castro and Luka Nurmi will also feature for the Piacenza-based team, the latter winner of the 2021 Finali Mondiali in the Trofeo Pirelli. AF Corse also welcomes newcomers Eddie Cheever and Marco Pulcini. Coluccio and Mazzola will feature for Best Lap in the 488 GT3 Evo 2020.

As for the GT Cup, open to single-marque cars, in the Pro Am, Leonardo Colavita, paired with Giorgio Maggi, who replaces Michele Rugolo at the wheel of the 488 Challenge Evo of Double TT Racing, is 12 points off the top. The other Ferraris on the track will be in the hands of Demarchi and Patrinicola (Best Lap), winners of the Pergusa Endurance event, and a new Formula Racing crew of Stefano Gai paired with Fabrizio Fontana. Nicoli and Scarpetta, second in the Am category standings with 20 points, will race in the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo of Best Lap. Bontempelli and Menichini, competing in the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo of SR&R, lie fourth in the same category with 18 points. Carboni and Romani will start for the SR&R team, while Best Lap will deploy Marzialetti and D’Aniello, and Easy Race Del Col and Galvanin.

Round two of the Sprint series will open on Friday with two one-hour free practice sessions at 11.05 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. and continue on Saturday with the two official practice sessions, one each for the GT3 and GT Cup classes, from 10.10 a.m. to 12.20 p.m. In the afternoon, at 4.45 p.m., the green light will be given for Race-1 of the GT3 class, lasting 50 minutes + 1 lap, and at 5.55 p.m., Race-1 of the GT Cup, lasting 48 minutes + 1 lap. The second round of both classes will kick off on Sunday at 3.20 p.m. (GT3) and 4.40 p.m. (GT Cup). All times are local.

British Endurance Championship. On 24 and 25 June, the Silverstone track hosts round three of the British Endurance Championship. Two Ferraris will be fielded for this event. B class leaders, John Seale and Jamie Stanley of RNR Performance Cars will start in the Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo number 55. The same team also fields a Ferrari 458 Challenge, driven by third-placed Chris Goddard and Charlie Hollings, accompanied by Charlie Hand.

Activities run on Saturday with free practice from 8 to 8.30 a.m. qualifying from 10.50 to 11 a.m., and the race scheduled from 2.30 to 4.30 p.m. (all times indicated are local).