The historic Monza circuit is closely linked with the Blancpain GT Series.
The Italian venue has been an ever-present fixture on the calendar since 2011, when it played host to the maiden race of what was then known as the Blancpain Endurance Series. But, though it has subsequently staged a race each year, no driver has won the event outright twice.
That could change this weekend, with nine previous winners among the 54-car field bidding for victory. Then again, given how competitive the competition is, we could just as easily see three new names added to the roll of honour.
Monza was a crucial event for the Grasser Racing entry 12 months ago. After winning the Italian contest, the #63 Lamborghini recorded four successive wins that set the team up to secure the overall and Endurance Cup titles.
Last year’s winners will be bidding for back-to-back victories this weekend, with the trio of Mirko Bortolotti, Christian Engelhart and Andrea Caldarelli handling the Huracan GT3 once again. They will start this afternoon’s three-hour race from 13th spot on the 54-car grid.
There are six other past Monza winners spread throughout the field who will be hoping to bag a second victory at the legendary circuit. One of the original victors is among them, competing in the #19 Grasser Racing machine. Raffaele Giammaria was driving a Porsche 997 GT3-R that day in 2011, combining with Paolo Ruberti and Gianluca Roda to secure victory.
Seven years later he is aboard a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 – sharing with Ezequiel Perez Companc and Marco Mapelli – in a bid for victory number two.
In 2012 Maxime Martin and Markus Palttala were part of the #3 Marc VDS entry that triumphed at Monza, with Bas Leinders completing their trio that day.
Martin is back in Blancpain GT Series action this year and will make his competitive debut for R-Motorsport, who are fielding an Aston Martin V12 Vantage in the top class throughout the Endurance Cup campaign.
Palttala, meanwhile, is making his competitive bow for Lexus, whose RC F GT3 is run in partnership with Emil Frey Racing. The Finn will start today’s race from 21st spot, while Martin will line up 12th.
If anyone is going to secure victory number two, Davide Rigon looks to be a strong bet. The Italian ace was victorious in 2013, sharing with César Ramos and Daniel Zampieri for Kessel Racing. Rigon is now competing for the SMP Racing team alongside Miguel Molina and Mikhail Aleshin, and their #72 SMP-Ferrari lines up on pole for today’s race.
Alvaro Parente was victorious in 2014, driving an ART-run McLaren MP4-12C GT3 alongside French racers Gregoire Demoustier and Alexandre Premat. In 2018, Parente will drive a Mercedes for the Strakka squad, forming a formidable line-up alongside Maxi Buhk and Maxi Gotz. The trio start today’s race from a very competitive fifth spot.
French ace Come Ledogar was victorious in 2015 when he shared a McLaren 650S GT3 with Rob Bell and Shane van Gisbergen. As was the case with the #63 Grasser crew, victory at Monza proved to be a good omen for the McLaren trio as they went on to clinch that year’s Endurance Cup. Ledogar is in McLaren equipment once again this year, sharing a 650S GT3 with British duo Andrew Watson and Ben Barnicoat.
These nine drivers know how to win at Monza, but they will have no shortage of competition when this afternoon’s race gets underway. The action begins at 15.00 and will be streamed live on the Blancpain GT Series website.