The AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 of David Vidales (Spain) – managed by Monaco Increase Management – together with Leonardo Colavita (Italy) and Ibrahim Badawi (Egypt) clinched the Italian GT Endurance Pro-Am title in a tense season finale at Mugello. After starting from pole position, the multi-national trio finished third overall and second in class, a result strong enough to secure the championship by a slender margin.
Vidales, who had set the absolute fastest lap in qualifying, made a perfect start and opened up an early eight-second lead before a Safety Car wiped out the advantage. The race was also interrupted by a long red flag period when a drain cover came loose on the circuit. For much of the first half the AF Corse #62 Ferrari led the field but was eventually passed by the #66 and #63 Lamborghinis as strategies unfolded.
With the title battle finely balanced, the #51 AF Corse Ferrari briefly moved ahead in the standings, threatening the championship hopes of Vidales, Colavita and Badawi. However, a strong penultimate stint allowed the #62 to retake the upper hand. In the closing laps Vidales held off a hard-charging #51 to secure P3 overall and P2 in Pro-Am at the flag – enough to seal the title by just 0.3 seconds.
MIM CEO Salvatore Gandolfo praised the performance of his driver and the AF Corse team after the race, expressing pride in Vidales’s pace and consistency throughout the season, and particularly in this tense finale.
Photos: Debora Del Dò
